Bound by Runes
by lezonne
Summary: 'Freed tried taking a breath to keep himself in control. He could already feel his magical power growing, infuriated that a member of his guild was beaten so badly. Who the hell would dare do something like this to a member of Fairy Tail, and to one of the kindest mages at that' Freed X Lucy. Mature. Rated for torture, warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Warnings: Rated for torture, abuse, and subtle mentions of sexual abuse through the story. We will cover that as it progresses. Chapter edited 8/24/18.**

When Freed could get them, he liked his solo missions.

Really, he almost never took one. The Thunder God Tribe could take on a lot more difficult jobs together, and were used to traveling for long periods of time. He wouldn't have even considered one this month if Ever hadn't gone off with Elfman, making some lame excuse about why she had to go. His other teammates followed her lead, and soon he found himself needing to do something to fill time.

Bickslow was out of the question. He'd been hanging around the guild hall more and more, and although Freed assumed he had his eye on someone he hadn't yet figured out who. He wasn't quite as obvious as Evergreen. Still, he refused to go on any jobs, coming up with one lame excuse after another. Freed eventually let him be.

With Laxus out on his own mission, it gave him a rare opportunity to go out alone and make some additional money. He didn't actually need it this month, but it would be nice to cushion his accounts. Besides, the job he took was very easy, and should only keep him away from the guild for a day or two.

Help defeat some lame guy in Crocus who kept robbing people? Piece of cake. The award wasn't worth much, but stretching his skills on his own would be a nice change. He was so accustomed to working in a team most days he still had to remember to go solo every now and then.

The job was already done, the money resting in his pocket as he looked for a room for the night. It only took one day, and he could afford a luxury with the extra allowance.

The neighborhood he was presently in wasn't the best, and Freed crinkled his nose as he walked. The alleyways around here had the distinct smell of urine. He'd have to wander to a nicer part of town for the night. He had no desire to sleep here.

He hummed quietly as he walked. Silence was something to treasure in a guild like Fairy Tail, but he wouldn't be caught dead humming around his teammates. They would never shut up about it if he did so. Now was the best time for the added pleasure, and he would take it in strides.

Passing by one of the last houses on the block he paused, feeling an odd pulse in magical energy. He hadn't felt much in the last few blocks, but this house had an odd amount of it magic radiating off of it. Glancing to his left he studied the house, wondering about the faint magical presence.

His eyes narrowed, taking in the scripture above the door even as the sky darkened. It was getting late, and he shouldn't bother with the home.

He wouldn't bother either if he hadn't noticed the rune magic on the building. To an untrained eye it might go unnoticed, but to Freed it was glaringly obvious that it was there. The enchantment placed on the house was stranger still.

A spell to keep someone inside without exception. It wasn't too detailed, but the point was clear.

Freed pursed his lips. That seemed like a peculiar spell to place on a house. Why trap someone inside? It didn't look like a friendly place. As he approached the door he felt the magical energy around the house change, suddenly pulsating as he stopped out front.

A very powerful mage was trapped inside, or hiding. Perhaps there was a reason the individual was being withheld by the spell. He considered leaving, deciding that he didn't need to get in anymore trouble for one night, when something cause his eye.

An emblem, like the one on his hand. It was a snatch of fabric, torn off of something. The fabric was half buried in the dirt outside, and if Freed hadn't been standing right there he wouldn't have noticed. He didn't need to pick it up to immediately realize what it was.

 _Fairy Tail._

He glared at the door with renewed interest. If a member if the guild was trapped inside it was well worth his efforts to try and free them. He couldn't leave a fellow comrade behind.

Drawing his sword, he broke the protective ward with ease. Whoever enforced it didn't seem to have a lot of experience with magical scripture. Vaguely he wondered if the homeowner was inside and if he'd have to put up a fight.

It didn't matter. If a member of his guild was held hostage then it wouldn't make a difference if the owner was home, he'd have to get them out either way.

The door practically came off its hinges when he pushed it open. He knew the building was in bad shape judging by the outside, just like the rest of the neighborhood, but he was startled by the loud creek it emitted. It was in even worse condition than he originally thought.

Well, so much for sneaking in quietly.

Looking around, it didn't seem that the homeowner was there, but he felt the magical presence increase as he walked through the front of the room. No doubt, the person trapped had to be a mage of Fairy Tail.

He just couldn't fathom who.

Following the strong magical pulse he wandered into the basement, only encountering one other spell along the way to deny passage. Just like outside, he took it out with ease. Whoever installed the spells appeared to have no idea what they were doing.

He swallowed his words as he reached the basement, his hand almost falling off his sword. He inhaled sharply, unable to process the sight before him.

 _Lucy_.

She was trapped on one side of the room, the space barren aside from a long metal table. He sidestepped that, deciding he didn't even want to think of the uses for that, keeping his eyes on the unconscious mage. Even though she was lying on her stomach he recognized her immediately, her hair unlike anyone else's in the guild. As he approached, he realized how bad of a condition she was in.

She was pressed into the floor by some sort of spell, the runes dancing around in lazy circles over her entrapped body. Wherever the magic touched her exposed skin – and there was a lot of it – it seemed to be slicing into her. Her clothing was torn into pieces, blood dripping around her body into a pool beneath her. Her skirt, or what was left of it, left very little to the imagination and without the blood he imagined he'd be able to see more than he wanted to.

Freed tried taking a breath to keep himself in control. He could already feel his magical power growing, infuriated that a member of his guild was beaten so badly.

Who the hell would dare do something like this to a member of Fairy Tail, and to one of the kindest mages at that?

She whimpered, startling Freed. He hadn't realized she was awake. He crouched down carefully, trying to see her eyes. They were hidden behind a lot of matted hair, and it didn't look like the position her arms were in would allow her to move it. Her eyes cracked open slowly, crusted over with blood.

She screamed.

Freed expected her to react terribly, looking like she'd taken quite a beating. He didn't however expect the magical runes surrounding her to tighten, squeezing in on the girl to cut deeper into her already torn skin. She wailed, the pain in her voice dancing off the walls around them, echoing back at Freed.

He had to do something to calm her down. She was only causing herself more pain.

"Lucy," he stated, trying to speak over her cries of pain without sounding aggressive. He kept his voice as calm as possible, hoping it might soothe the mage. "Please, try to calm down. I know it hurts. This is Freed from Fairy Tail. We know each other. You have to relax so I can break the spell surrounding you."

She didn't quiet, panicking further when he tried to reach out soothe her. Likely he wouldn't be able to touch her skin, but he could at least try to ease her worries. He recoiled, watching the panic rise up in the one eye he could see the closer his hand got.

"N-no! Leave… me alone!"

He was surprised. He'd never heard of the blonde begging someone before, especially on her own behalf. She dissolved into cries, her tears mixed with screams as the magic continued to press in. He pulled back, trying to block out her criess.

How was he supposed to calm her down? The fastest way would be to break the enchantment holding her, but if she was frightened from him reaching in her direction he imagined drawing a sword would cause her fear to skyrocket.

"I'm going to get you out of here," he continued, unable to do anything to stifle her cries. The least he could do was talk. He couldn't soothe her, and if panic caused the runes to contract and crush her then he didn't have the time to sit around and try to figure this out.

Deciding he could deal with her fear once she was free, he pulled the sword from its sheath and studied the runes. This spell was nothing like the previous ones he encountered. This was complex and thoughtful, meant to hold her down in place.

He couldn't just counter it.

He tried to gently _shoosh_ the crying girl, not daring to consider who would hurt her so badly or why. Instead he focused on the script in front of him, picking apart the rules with ease.

According to the rules of the rune magic,Lucy wouldn't be able to break free from this without her keys. She would need someone to break through the magic, or better yet remove the enchantment. But he had not seen her keys since entering, and with the little clothing she still had on he could tell they weren't with her.

It didn't take long for Freed to pick it apart, raising his sword to break the enchantment with ease. The spell broke with a crash, like glass splintering on the floor. He took a shaky breath as the tension in Lucy's body suddenly gave out, watching as her body sank into the floor when the magic released. He sheathed his sword once again, unwilling to step forward for a moment and frighten her.

She reacted first, lifting one shaky hand up to her matted hair. She brushed back the haphazard strands until she was able to see him more clearly through her one eye, pieces of bloodied hair sticking to her face. She squinted at him, almost like she was having a hard time seeing. "F…Freed?"

He gave her a soft smile, grateful she recognized him now. Kneeling down beside her he noticed her eyes widen, but she looked too weak to do anything else. Without the magic in the way he could see gashes in her skin, like someone whipped her raw. Through the blood he could make out the remains of the back of her shirt, held together by a few strings at best.

"Yes, it's Freed," he replied, studying her. He had a dozen questions in his head right now, all of which were begging to be asked. But he had to focus on her right now and see what kind of damage they were dealing with. He wasn't in Magnolia; he couldn't just pick her up and rush her to Wendy. He'd have to do something about the wounds himself before she bled out anymore.

He needed to make sure she was stable enough to move and get them the hell out of that place.

"Wh-where…?"

"We're in Crocus," Freed said, reaching for her shoulder. He didn't intend to frighten her, but she did flinch away and he quickly retracted his hand, unsure what to do. Aside from Evergreen he didn't associate with a lot of the female members of the guild, and he wasn't certain he was reading her correctly. "Lucy, you need to let me touch you. I need to see the damage so I know what to do to help you."

Surprised, he watched as she squinted, her one eye he could see welling with tears. He didn't know what to do about that. He thought he was doing okay not scaring her, but maybe not.

"No."

"Lucy-"

"W-where are my keys?" she interrupted, her eye shifting away from him. He watched her shift painfully slowly, hissing in pain with each small shift. Even with her arms positioned under her she tried to push herself up, screaming in pain at the effort.

Freed reacted immediately, gently pushing her back down. She screamed from that too, but he tried to ignore it. He couldn't just let her get up and risk falling, causing further harm. She needed to pause for a moment and see what they could figure out.

Even if she was terrified, he couldn't just let her cause further harm when she was already suffering. He wasn't going to harm her, even if she did seem beyond reason right now. If he could get her to hear him out, she might be willing to let him help.

"I haven't seen your keys since arriving," Freed replied, removing his hand when she tensed up again. He watched the puddle of blood beneath her grow in size, and it only accentuated the urgency of checking her wounds. "I know you don't want to, but we need to shift you and get out of here. You need to go to the hospital-"

"No!" she cried, shifting her head to look up at him. He could see both eyes now, one seriously bloodied. If she could see anything out of it at all he'd be surprised. "N-no… I can't go. He'll f-find me. He… took my keys. I c-can't go without them"

"Who took your keys?"

Lucy shook her head, staring up at him with a blank expression. Whoever did this to her, she wasn't going to be open about it. With a sigh Freed reached towards her again, ignoring the fear in her eyes. He forced himself to ignore the panic in her one good eye, knowing she desperately needed to be stitched up. "I have to see how bad the wounds are, Lucy."

As though to accentuate his point, she shifted her shoulder and cried in pain. The skin was splintered, angry open wounds screaming every time she moved. Lucy relented, almost going limp in his hands as he gently shifted her. She cried out in pain when her back touched the stone, wiggling around to get pressure off her skin. She appeared dehydrated, and he imagined if she had enough liquid inside her she'd be shedding tears now.

The good news was most of the damage appeared to be on her back and legs, her torso and chest looking mostly unharmed aside from the dried blood. He did notice that she had just as little clothing left as in the back, but the blood covered most of her skin.

How could someone do this to a person? She was half alive in his hands, and he had a growing sense of urgency that if he didn't fix the wounds soon she'd pass out again.

He was having a bit of a hard time focusing as his vision went red, imaging beating the ever-living-crap out of anyone who stupidly showed up before they were out of the house. He never understood the pleasure in such torture, and he wasn't about to take it sitting down.

"We have to stitch the wounds on your back," he said, trying to remain calm. His blood was boiling as he looked over the damage. How dare someone harm another member of Fairy Tail and leave her so battered? "I have some supplies with me, but it's going to hurt."

Lucy said nothing, looking off towards the other wall. She had little to say, apparently trying to block Freed out. He sighed, letting go of her shoulder so she could roll over again, her stomach in less pain than her back. She grunted but otherwise remained quiet, eyes distant and unfocused. He wasn't even sure she heard him talking.

Freed made quick work of the largest marks on her back, using his emergency supplies to close the largest of the gashes. He almost didn't bring them along on his trip knowing it would be easy money this time around, but decided to just in case since he would be traveling alone.

He was quite glad he brought it along on after all. For her part, Lucy remained quiet except for her cries of pain. She was too weak to fight against him, her hands clawing weakly for purchase on the smooth concrete floor. He tried to zone those sounds out, knowing he needed to do this to make sure she didn't lose more blood, or suffer from infection.

The largest marks were four long streaks across her back, looking like they sliced through the majority of her clothing, leaving it in the tatters he found her in. They also seemed to be the most responsible for the blood on the floor. Once those wounds were closed he pulled back, looking at the little supplies he had left.

He'd have to purchase more before he could finish up with the smaller, less fatal gashes. Glancing at her legs he suppressed a blush, seeing how much skin was showing. It was more than usual, smaller cuts there as well. He definitely didn't want to bring that topic up to her.

"We're going to need to clean you up," he said, drawing her attention. He could see both her eyes now in this position, flecked with blood across the lids. She seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness, her one good eye somewhat focused. "I can't take you out of here like this, someone will think I tried to kill you."

Lucy didn't reply, and he took that as a bad sign. She couldn't pass out. He was worried she had a head wound, and he wasn't sure he trusted himself enough to close the wound himself. He couldn't do anything about it until they got out of the house, but the last thing he wanted to miss were the signs of a serious concussion. Her mind already seemed a little fuzzy anyway. When she remained quiet he decided to move forward, glancing at the steps.

He didn't want to be here too much longer. There was no telling when the bastard who did this would return, and he couldn't guarantee he'd restrain himself from a full-fledged fight.

"We're going upstairs," he continued on, gently roll her over again. Her head lulled, looking at him through bleary eyes. He slid his hands under her now stitched-up back and her knees, watching her eyes widen.

"I'm not going to harm you," he reminded, meeting her eyes. "You have my word."

Freed expected Lucy to weigh more, especially after all the jabs Natsu and Happy were always making about her weight. He knew she wasn't fat like they always declared, but she still weighed less than he expected. There was no telling how long she'd been there, and he supposed some of it could be due to malnutrition. She shivered in his arms as he turned, glancing around the room one more time.

He didn't see her keys, couldn't even feel extra magical energy. As far as he was concerned, they weren't there and he couldn't waste the time to search right now.

But why would someone take them? Sure, he knew the keys often got her into loads of trouble, but he couldn't see a motive this time around.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, climbing up the steps. He wanted to keep her talking and focused on something else besides the pain. Her breathing had increased as soon as he lifted her, and he could feel fear coming off her in waves.

"He brought me," she rasped, her voice becoming scratchy.

"Who is he?"

Lucy shook her head, dodging his question again. He let the topic drop, deciding he could ask her later. After all, he didn't want to make her even more upset.

At the top of the stairs he headed to the kitchen he' passed earlier, which had an open window looking out over the yard. If someone approached he would be able to see them, even in the dark. He didn't think the bathroom would be open, and Lucy was already scared enough that he didn't want to take her to such a small space.

"I'm just going to clean you up a little," he muttered, setting her down on the counter. She wavered a little as he reached for a towel, wetting the fabric. "I need to get a room for the night, and you're coming with. We will contact Makarov from there, where we know it's safe."

He didn't want to chance talking and letting whoever harmed her to have the chance to catch them here. Maybe she would feel better if she wasn't in this awful house anymore, and she might be willing to give him an idea of what happened.

Turning back he moved to run the towel over her face, worried most about her face and neck being smeared in blood. It would be hard to conceal those. Lucy caught his wrist before he could, her grip weak but the intention firm.

"I can do it," she whispered, taking the towel from him in shaking fingers. She wiped at the blood, leaving streaks on her forehead and cheeks. He stood back and watched her a moment, letting her do this on her own.

He may not know her well, but he'd heard enough stories about Lucy to know she was often determined to be helpful, even when she didn't need to be. She didn't need to clean herself up when he could help, but she was going to.

Freed reached towards the buttons on his jacket, undoing them easily. Lucy tensed in front of him, watching all of his movements with wary eyes. What little color there was in her face disappeared.

"I just want to help cover you up," he explained, seeing the fear in her eyes. Given her lack of clothing, he was afraid to ask what made her so timid. "It's getting cold out, and we will look a lot less suspicious if you're covered." He indicated to her face, watching her rub harder at her cheeks. "Plus, you'll have to clean up less here. We need to be going before whoever _he_ is comes back. I don't think you're keys are here, so there's no reason to remain."

Lucy nodded sadly, dropping her arm now that she was almost clean. "I doubt t-they are here anyway."

She set the cloth aside, watching Freed carefully as he removed his jacket. He pulled the sword off, attaching the sheath to his pants before draping it around Lucy's shoulders, watching her eyes widen.

"We have to go," he said again, moving to carry her once more. She shook her head, hopping off the counter on wobbly legs. She held onto the counter a moment to get her balance, pushing her messy hair out of her face when she succeeded. The towel helped get some of the blood out, but she still looked like absolute hell.

The coat was much too big, hanging off her. At least she didn't look like she'd been beaten quite so bad anymore. Freed nodded, glancing out the window.

Still no sign of whoever trapped her here.

He led her out of the house, matching his pace to hers as they moved. She seemed absolutely exhausted, but determined enough to not allow him to help. It was kind of frustrating that she wouldn't accept his assistance, but he couldn't argue. She was timid enough without him getting grouchy over that.

They moved down the street, Freed eyeing the space around them the entire time. He didn't see anyone trying to advance, and he wasn't sensing someone hidden. Perhaps whoever trapped her really had gone away for a while and he wouldn't have to see them anytime soon.

It was almost disappointing. He wouldn't mind teaching them a lesson for harming another member of his guild.

"Where-" She cut off, clearing her scratchy throat before trying again. "Where are we going?"

"First things first, we need to find a hotel since you don't want to go to a doctor. Then we need to contact the guild and explain what happened. Where are the other members of your team?"

Lucy glanced down, her eyes refusing to look up and meet his. "I-I came on this mission alone."

"Well that certainly explains some of it," he muttered, placing a guiding hand on her back to turn the next corner. She didn't flinch this time, just glanced his way. She'd never seen him without his coat before, the simple dress shirt and pants a stark contrast to his usual attire. "When we get to the hotel, just let me handle it. You need to rest."

Lucy looked down again. She couldn't argue with that.

* * *

She sat on the one bed in the room, studying Freed. He sat across from her on the sofa, eyeing her right back. She had yet to take off his coat, afraid of what he might see in the better light of this building.

She was scared herself. She felt naked without her keys, and though she'd been in situations before where she lost them she'd never met an opponent so disabling before. Lucy couldn't quite remember when she lost her spirits, but she knew the mage placed some sort of spell over them to prohibit Loke or Virgo - or anyone else for that matter - from coming out.

Shuddering at the thought of _him_ , she tightened her fingers on Freed's coat again. He was still watching her, a frown pulling at his lips. Her eyes danced over his face and moved on, not wanting to see the concern there.

"If you don't want to go to a hospital you need to allow me to dress the wounds," he reasoned, tapping the package in front of him. He'd gone out right after purchasing the room to buy more supplies, knowing the damage he still needed to mend on her skin. She hadn't fought him on it, but it didn't ease his nerves at all to leave her alone upstairs. He felt a lot better when he came in and found her sitting there uncomfortably but okay. "If you are well enough to travel to Magnolia tomorrow we need to go. Wendy can treat you there with ease."

"Of course," she replied quietly, keeping her eyes downcast. He sighed, and she knew he was growing frustrated with her. "I can bandage myself up. I'm not as weak, now that you helped hydrate me again."

There was a pause. "Lucy, how long were you down there exactly? How long have you been missing from the guild? I was back a couple days before taking this request, and I don't recall seeing you."

"I took it about a week ago," she responded, her voice low. She was digging her nails into the mattress now, reveling in how soft it was. She hadn't felt something so plush against her skin in days.

There was a rustling, and a moment later she gasped, finding Freed much closer than before. He crouched down in front of her, eyes glaring into hers. He reached up, smoothing his hand tentively over the one grasping his jacket. "You can't leave the wounds open. You need to shower the rest of the blood off so I can clean them."

"R-right."

He frowned. "Do you have enough energy for that? I'd draw you a bath, but the tub seems rather small. You'll probably just end up dragging those cuts painfully across the porcelain."

Lucy blushed at his thoughtfulness. She didn't know Freed all that well, but he was surprisingly attentive to her injuries. "I think I can stand a shower. I need to get… clean anyway."

Freed's expression darkened, his brows drawing together at her words. She expected him to intrude on her privacy like her friends, and readied herself for an argument. Instead he relented, pulling back from her to extend a hand. "Come on then, the sooner you are cleaned up the sooner you can rest."

She looked away as she took his hand, well aware of the dirt and blood under her nails. Freed didn't seem to mind, guiding her towards the bathroom. She found he'd already set out two towels for her, the shower door left open. She didn't even recall him coming in here.

"Shout if you need something," he said, grasping the door handle. With a curt nod he turned and left, leaving Lucy all alone in the small bathroom.

The last thing she wanted was to be alone right now. Turning she tried to still her shaking hands, slowly dragging Freed's jacket off of her shoulders. It pulled at her skin where blood dried to it, and she gasped when the item finally pulled away to pool on the floor.

Hell, that hurt. Swallowing a strangled cry she pressed her hands to the counter, afraid of looking up from the sink. She hadn't seen what she looked like in a week's time, and she knew the results were tragic. Freed's expressions were enough of a giveaway whenever he glanced her way, and if she wasn't sure she was an absolute wreck the odd or surprised looks people gave her on the way upstairs confirmed her fears.

Refusing to look up she glanced down instead, eyes widening at the state of her clothing. She knew it was bad, but not _this_ bad. Her shirt wasn't even really together anymore, the bra underneath cut clean through. Her entire top was hanging open, her scratched nipples staring up at her. Her skirt was in similar disarray, nearly torn off her body. The remaining shreds covered absolutely nothing, and without Freed's coat she could feel a slight draft. Her panties beneath were at least intact, if not stained from all the blood.

Lucy hiccupped, trying to swallow down a cry. She hadn't had much time to think since Freed found her, practically ripping her out of that house. Now that she was alone she could survery the damage done, and all it did was cause the memories to flint through her mind.

She sank down to her knees, ignoring the jolts of pain it shot through her body. Her breathing hitched, quickening as she felt a panic attack setting in.

No wonder Freed wanted her to wear his coat. He probably couldn't stand the sight of her.

Fingers letting go of the counter she reached up to clench her hair, taking shuddering breaths that didn't do any good. Her eyes were watching, breathing going out of control as she sat there, willing the tears away.

A knock at the door did nothing to deter the panic. "Lucy? Are you alright?"

She couldn't answer, fisting her hands tighter into her hair. She would end up tearing it out at this rate. Freed knocked again, undeterred by her lack of response.

"If you don't answer I'll have to come in. Lucy?"

She gasped, feeling the water dripping down her cheeks. She couldn't help it. She hadn't had a chance to not be on edge in days, and it was wearing her down. It was the first time she'd been able to cry since she stopped receiving water.

The door opened, Freed slipping in behind her. She hiccupped, unable to control the tears as she cried. Her life felt like it was unraveling.

How dare he take her keys away from her?

"Lucy," Freed awkwardly said behind her. She could feel him standing there but not doing anything. "Are you crying? What's wr-"

She turned and wrapped her arms around his legs, crying harder. She missed this, any sort of human contact. She loved hugs, touches, anything that connected her to others. Other than him, she'd been deprived of it for a week.

Freed grunted, clearing his throat. She held on harder, grappling for anything in that moment. If he suddenly disappeared and left her alone again she wasn't sure what she would do.

He reached down, disentangling her arms from his legs before he sat beside her carefully, gasping quietly when she threw her arms around his shoulders. He pat her shoulder awkwardly, pulling back immediately when she hissed in pain.

Unsure where to put his hands, he settled for clasping them around her lower back where he didn't recall seeing any marks. It didn't cause her any pain, and she buried herself further into his grip, letting the tears soak his shirt.

She couldn't imagine letting go. If she did, she wasn't sure she'd be able to locate him again. He might disappear, like her keys and her spirit, sucked away by that god awful man.

Taking a shaky breath, Lucy lifted her head up enough to speak into his ear, letting her voice ghost across his skin. "Thank you, Freed."

 **A/n: Hello there readers. This is my first Fairy Tail fanfiction so bear with me. LucyXFreed was such an interesting pairing I had to try it myself. As you will find, my stories tend to be fairly dark and I believe Freed's magic will lend itself to that.**

 **I'm not sure if this story will be continued or not. I'm really just feeling out the anime since I've never tried tackling this before. Please let me know what you think. If inspiration strikes I might continue, I try to make it my goal to update every couple weeks, sooner if possible.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter edited 8/24/18.**

"You need to get cleaned up," he said, clearing his throat in the silence. She'd gone quiet after her thank-you, sobbing into his shirt. He flexed his fingers on her back, ignoring the stiff feeling in his neck from holding still for so long. "Come on, I'll help you find something else to wear. We need to get the cuts cleaned."

Lucy stiffened for a moment at his words, her cries going quiet as she tensed. She slowly unwound her arms from his neck, staring at the floor as she moved back.

He frowned, letting his arms fall away from her. She looked like hell, the blood more prominent beneath the bright lights. He didn't want to hesitate having her get clean, and he didn't really want to fight her on it. If blood dried to the wounds anymore it would just hurt to scrub off. Freed glanced towards the shower, noting it didn't appear that she made it that far.

He really wanted a better look at her head. Her hair was too matted to see if there was a wound there, or if it was blood from other marks and lying on the floor in a pool of it. But they couldn't leave it untreated. It was the one wound he was seriously worried about handling. Aside from the bad lighting in that house, he hadn't actually gotten a proper chance to check her since they ran out of there.

And he wasn't quite sure how to. She was so hesitant compared to the loud blonde he was used to he didn't know how to survey her without being creepy. She already freaked out when he tried touching her, so he was sure looking her up and down wouldn't help matters.

Discarding that thought, he stood slowly enough to not startle her and held out a hand again. One thing at a time. "Come on, I'll start the water if you like. Take as long as you want in here, okay? I'll just be in the room if you need something."

She hesitated a moment, looking so broken as she stared up at him from the floor that he felt his anger flare up again. He'd never seen her look so defeated, despite how often she got into sticky situations. After a moment she took his hand, struggling to stand up even with some assistance. "You don't need to start the water, I can do it."

"Are you sure?"

Lucy nodded, her arms coming around to hug herself. She tried to smile, failed, and settled for staring at a spot somewhere off to the right of him. "Yes, I can handle it."

Freed relented, stepping past the blonde to make his way out of the bathroom. He cast one last glance over his shoulder as he left, unsure why she had started crying last time. Closing the door, he wondered if she was afraid of being alone.

After all, that is how he found her. As a celestial mage she was used to having companions on her hip, someone she could draw out when she needed company or help. Without her keys, she had to feel terribly alone.

He hadn't gotten far when he heard a thud from the bathroom, cursing quietly under his breath. He was afraid something might happen. If the mage was trapped for a week and denied basic things like food and water her body was extremely weak, and couldn't potentially support her for long. He'd been hoping that wasn't the case, especially with how defiant she was being, as he wasn't totally sure she would actually _let_ him help. Turning smartly on his heel he marched back to the bathroom, not bothering to knock on the door.

Formalities be damned. If she smacked her head on something while falling that would be one more thing to deal with. Adding that to a potential injury she already had, Natsu and the others would crisp him for letting her harm the same wound _again_.

Freed immediately focused on the wall when he entered, well aware that she might freak out if he walked in on her changing. In the brilliant light of the room he could see her raw skin, her back partially stitched from his earlier work. Over that however he could see faint, bleeding lines across the skin. His quick handiwork couldn't stop the wounds from reopening if she pushed herself too much, and it looked like any amount of movement would cause the gashes to open. Even the smaller stab wounds were bleeding again. He wasn't sure if they were the result of being whipped or part of the magical rune torture she endured whenever she screamed in pain. Surveying the marks briefly, he realized he would probably need to do some more stitching.

The girl in question had collapsed onto her knees, her body breathing heavily as she tried to keep herself from crashing into the tile. Her shirt hung away from her body, revealing too much of her chest. He could clearly see every bit of her torso through the few remaining strings of her shirt and chose to not look.

He didn't dare shift his eyes lower, lest he see something to cause him to truly blush or worse - receive a proper Lucy kick.

"Freed?"

"Did you fall?" he asked, reaching out blindly to grasp her shoulder. She stifled a cry as he pulled her up, cringing at the sound himself. She sat on the edge of the tub, taking deep, uneven breaths as she fought through the pain.

He didn't really mean to, but helping Lucy maneuver forced him to look her way again, even if that was probably the last thing she wanted right now. Even for the brief moments he had to look at her, he got an idea of how far the beatings went. In the light he could now see the bruises on her chest and stomach, like someone held her down.

He tried to compose himself again. He still didn't have a story from her, maybe he shouldn't be jumping to conclusions and flaring with anger yet.

"Y-yes," Lucy replied, taking her time to answer his question. Her legs were shaking, and he was seriously starting to doubt she could stand in a shower, much less get up from the tub.

"If you want we can try cleaning the cuts with a towel," he said gently, keeping his eyes focused on her face. She looked frustrated of all things, like she couldn't believe she'd collapsed so quickly.

"No," she said determinedly, standing up. She swayed a couple times, giving Freed a good idea of all the new cuts he hadn't noticed before high on her thighs, her lack of clothing not hiding the obvious wounds. Most looked too small to fret about right now. "I want to shower. I have to get clean."

He frowned, watching her push herself past her limits. He wasn't fond of her choice of words. It was clear she was exhausted, and he wondered if she slept at all in that place. While her gaze was focused the rest of her was shaking from the effort of keeping herself up. Honestly, he couldn't fathom why she felt the need to prove her strength to him.

He didn't care; everyone got beat down sometimes.

"There's no shame in being beat Lucy," he sighed, watching her shoulders stiffen. "We lose to our enemies so we know how to improve ourselves in battle the next time."

"If I can't get my keys back from him there won't be a next time," she said quietly, keeping her gaze away from him. "I don't have time to cry, I need to be out there getting them back."

"Going out right now won't do you any good," he reasoned, arching an eyebrow beneath his hair. Her emotions were a mess, flip-flopping from teary-eyed to driven. "Just worry about getting clean right now. I'll secure the room so no one can disturb us. Perhaps when you're finished you can enlighten me about what's going on?"

She didn't reply, letting the silence hang between them again. By the time he decided she wouldn't be responding and turned to go she surprised him, clearing her throat uncertainly. "Um, Freed?"

Halfway turning back to her, he ensured he couldn't see any part of her he shouldn't. "Yes?"

Lucy blushed, looking away from him. She fidgeted with her fingers, inwardly fighting with herself over something he couldn't fathom. She wrapped her arms around herself, taking a deep breath before she dared to speak. "Don't… go."

"I'll just be in the room," Freed assured, arching an eyebrow. He couldn't imagine she was actually considering what she was saying if she dared to ask something like that. He didn't think his mind could stand seeing anymore wounds right now, and he needed a break to compose himself before he went off. Besides, if she was so afraid of him even touching her he didn't imagine staying in there while she showered would go over well. "I'll be close if you need something."

She twitched, her hands pressing harder into her upper arms. "B-but…"

Freed turned to face her fully. He really didn't like this side of Lucy, the unsure stuttering girl who couldn't get out what she wanted to say. Even when she was uncertain of something before, she never looked so vulnerable. "But what?"

She bit her lip, the action looking painful. Her skin was just as raw there as everywhere else, her lips chapped and bleeding. "Please…"

He felt surprise overtake him, her eyes dropping again. "Lucy, you don't want me to stay in here with you. It won't make you any more comfortable."

"B-but if you leave me alone-"

"Nothing will happen," he assured, wondering how she got caught in the first place. Was she really so scared of being left to her own thoughts? Surely she knew he wouldn't let someone break into the room. "I can leave the bathroom door cracked if you want, but it might be cold. I'll be able to hear you if you call out for me."

Lucy hesitated. "And I'll be able to hear you?"

Freed smiled gently, hoping to put her mind at rest. "Yes. Come out whenever you are ready. I'm going to see if this room has a bathrobe or something you can wear when you're done, okay?"

She didn't reply, and he took it as his sign to leave. He left the door cracked, hoping she would shut it if she needed more privacy. He wasn't sure why she wanted it cracked, it didn't seem like it should make her feel any safer. Actually, he thought it might have the opposite effect on her, but it's what she asked for. Who was he to decide what she needed when he wasn't sure what happened to her?

Sighing, he looked around the room. He had to still call Master Makarov, not to mention finding her something to wear. Taking a moment to compose himself, he attempted to clear his mind. It was time to get to work. He could be pissed off about things later.

* * *

Lucy tried to ignore the sting of the water on her body. Her entire being ached, and she'd spent nearly ten minutes trying to pull the shreds of her clothing off of her body. She'd managed to get everything off aside from her underwear, unwilling to take them off just yet. Her body shuddered under the water, legs feeling like jelly.

She couldn't get the _feel_ of him off of her, even as she scrubbed at her skin. Her breathing wasn't normal, alternating between hitches and hiccups. She'd tried using soap twice now but it hurt, the water draining a pinkish-red color as it cascaded off her body. She felt so dirty, and positively useless without her spirits.

She didn't even have her Fleuve d'étoiles to defend herself against him. After Virgo got taken out during the fight, and before her keys were ripped away, she'd lost the whip somewhere before being grabbed. She had no idea where it was now, and that was long before she woke up in that house.

Choking down a cry at the loss of her spirits, she tried to think positively. They were out there someplace, she just needed to find her keys. Doing that would be difficult, especially if she had to face _him_ again. Her body shuddered once more, thinking of all the pain she'd been in for the majority of the last week.

All because she wasn't strong enough in battle. She felt tears dripping down her cheeks, her fingers digging into the unblemished skin of her palms.

She didn't have time to pity herself, she needed to find them! They were her companions, dependent on their contracts and as much a part of her fighting force as her magic itself. He was strong if he could fight off her spirits coming through their own gates, especially Virgo and Loke. Wherever they were, she hoped they were alright.

Giving up on soap for the third time, she settled for scratching at her raw skin to try and get the grimy feel of everything off of her. It didn't matter if she made a few more marks, who could tell the difference now? All her beautiful unblemished skin was ruined by the gashes and cuts lingering there, the little bruises like an eyesore when she stared at her body.

She'd seen the look in Freed's eyes. The wounds hadn't healed yet and wouldn't for some time without Wendy, but she could feel the judgment. Why else would he focus on her so much? They weren't close, just fellow guild mates. He had an obligation to help her.

The horrific damage done to her would make anyone else run off. Least he decided to hang around. The marks she made on her skin now would never measure but to the gaping wounds he left behind, so even Freed shouldn't notice. It's not like he'd be able to tell the difference anyway.

She turned around, cringing as the water hit her back, burning on the gashes. She swallowed a scream, knowing she had to do this, no matter how unpleasant. Even if she couldn't clean the marks there, at least the water might get rid of some of the dirt and dried blood. She wasn't sure she could stand trying to clean the spots with soap again after almost screaming earlier.

Lucy could hear Freed out in the room, talking to Makarov. His voice was faint over the water, but she could still make out bits of his side of the conversation between them through the cracked door.

"I don't know what happened, she doesn't feel comfortable sharing just yet… no, her keys are missing and she hasn't told me who took them… I don't think that's necessary Master, whoever did this hasn't turned up yet. If Wendy is able to stop in Crocus instead that might be better … You have my word, I wouldn't let something else happen to her…"

Unable to focus on the conversation and stand, she zoned him out once more. She wanted to rest, her limbs tired from her last week of being tortured and beaten. She felt pathetically weak after having not eaten, but she wouldn't tell Freed that. He'd already successfully saved her from a sticky situation and given her more water than she'd had in days. She needed to hold her own now.

Even when he mentioned food in passing earlier, she hadn't been able to think of anything particular that she wanted to eat. Honestly anything would do to fill the gaping hunger that lingered in her stomach. Maybe if she was feeling awake enough later she'd ask if he had any food. Right now she was more concerned about staying conscious through the duration of her shower.

Besides, her situation was an extra burden on Freed. She wanted to make the rest of this journey as easy as possible until they got back to Magnolia. No reason to trouble him anymore, right? If Wendy would be coming this direction, all she needed was some good old magic and she'd be _almost_ good as new.

Turning off the water with shaky fingers she stepped from the shower, keeping one hand on the glass at all times. She reached out and grabbed a towel, ignoring her hair for now. The water hadn't run clear yet, and she was certain there were still spots on her that needed to be cleaned. She just didn't have the energy to keep standing there while the water cascaded over her, and scrubbing was pretty much out of the question. Her fingers barely worked at this point, an she desperately wanted to sleep.

Which meant asking Freed for help, again. Most of the wounds were on her back and legs, strategic areas she couldn't heal or necessarily reach even before that awful rune spell was placed over her. Hugging herself, she wondered if she should just skip anymore treatment until Wendy showed up. She wasn't sure she could take more humiliation by being continuously stared at by the Rune Mage.

She didn't want pity. She just wished none of this happened.

Forcing herself to put her hair up, she swallowed down the sick feeling in her stomach. She was feeling faint, the need for a nap outweighing her desire to get stitched up.

Patting her head, she distantly noted that the towel on her head was turning darker on one side than the other, practically sucking up the moisture in her hair. The mirror was foggy, which meant she didn't have to focus on how atrocious she looked.

Her head felt fuzzy. She'd give anything for that nap right about now.

"Freed?" she called, hating the way her voice came out scratchy. She desperately wanted to drink more, but knew she had to pace herself. She'd been deprived of a lot of food and water, and if she took too much in at once she would just be sick. She cleared her throat, hoping it wouldn't sound so awful a second time.

"Lucy?" he asked, his voice surprisingly close on the other side of the door. He said something, but her head felt like it was floating as he continued talking, "I found a bathrobe… it's all we have available… see if the gift shop downstairs…"

He kept talking, but her mind was floating away, the exhaustion winning out. When did she last have a true nap not riddled with pain?

"…Lucy?"

She closed her eyes, her head lulling back with the weight of the towel on her head. She thought she felt herself falling, but the feeling of letting go felt too good. The last thing she heard was the door opening before darkness too her.

* * *

Freed wasn't entirely sure when, but at some point during his brief nap she'd gotten up and retrieved his coat from the bathroom floor. Now it was draped carefully over the arm of the sofa. He couldn't say he really cared about that, her health the main concern, but her consideration was touching nonetheless.

Wasn't he supposed to take care of her?

Presently he was busy watching the mage across from him pull uncertainly at the towel still half-on her head. She'd passed out earlier, probably from sheer exhaustion, and he was silently scolding himself for not having her sit down sooner. Cleaning the wounds was important, but it didn't actually help if she smacked her head all over again.

He couldn't believe he didn't act until she literally passed out. Other than getting her into the bed after she fell, he hadn't dared to do anything else. She was too hesitant, and he didn't want to make her anymore uncomfortable.

The life-threatening wounds were stitched closed. Anything else she had right now would be painful but not fatal, the only consultation he actually had. At least she woke up easily after the fall, even if she fought him on it. He'd only gotten to doze himself for about ten minutes, something that was more of an accident than anything. When he woke up she was in the middle of trying to change the sheets, and he'd quickly scolded her for it.

 _The hotel can deal with it when we leave. It's really the last of my concerns. If they want to charge me for the damn sheets they can go right ahead. Now lay down._

"Did the shower help?" he asked, finally breaking the silence. She hadn't said a word since he woke up and made her rest again, alternating between staring and looking away.

"It's nice to be cleaner," she whispered, shifting her gaze away again. He could hear the waver in her voice, knowing she'd been crying while he snoozed. Internally, he scolded himself for being so careless.

Ignoring how she still seemed to think herself unclean, he cleared his throat. He had no idea what time of night it was, just that it was still dark out. "I know it'll be hard in a towel, but if you can't dress the other wounds I need to at least check them. I know you had more cuts, Lucy. Even if they are clean the larger gashes need to be mended. How's your head doing?"

She shrugged, her hand moving to rub over the towel piled high on her head again. She had yet to put on the robe he found, something he simply didn't understand. She'd be more comfortable covering more of her skin, right? "I don't remember getting hit in the head."

"That doesn't mean you don't have a wound," he reasoned, thinking of her tumble earlier. He'd hardly managed to keep her from splitting her head open on the ground, and blush rose up on his cheeks when he recalled the towel coming completely undone. Hardly registering the fact that she still had underwear on, he folded the towel over her again as quickly as he could. He didn't exactly want to oogle her right now. It was his job to make sure she was alright, especially since he was the one who found her, and so far he wasn't sure he was doing a good job. "Come now, let me see if I feel a gash. We don't even know if there is a wound or not. Least I can do is make sure the bleeding stopped if there is."

Lucy tensed, reaching up to grasp the towel around her slim frame tighter. She glanced at the bathrobe he'd set out, like she was still warring with herself over putting it on. "You're just going to check my head?"

Freed frowned, hearing the fear in her voice. Of course he would only check her scalp, he had no reason to search any lower at the moment. His little accidental view of her confirmed other gashes, but nothing immediately fatal. "Of course."

Nodding once, she removed the towel with one quick tug, letting her hair fall out into a mess around her head. He realized she hadn't tried brushing it, the lengths sticking out at odd angles. It wasn't bloody like expected, but almost a copper color like the blood soaked in and tainted her blonde locks. She'd have to take a second, proper shower to really get the off-color red to go away.

His eyes widened. She hadn't so much gotten the blood out of her hair but pushed it around like shampoo. The towel itself was stained a red-brown color, one side a lot more coppery than the other. Reaching up, he ran his fingers through her locks, immediately coming back red.

He had serious doubts she'd cleaned the rest of her skin well if this was the state of her hair. Now he was worried the wounds weren't so clean after all and her limited efforts were wasted.

"Did the water turn red?" he asked, watching her cheeks color. He cleared his throat, wishing she'd talk to him. It would be so much easier to figure everything out if she didn't hesitate. "Did you get all the blood off your skin?"

"Most of it."

Freed's frown deepened, glancing at her arm. The towel didn't hide the scratch marks on her wrist, surrounded by raw skin still partially circled in blood. It looked like she had cleaned what she could and at some point simply gave up, even leaving dried blood patches on her limbs.

Staring at her without the towel on her head now, he wondered what to do about the potential head wound. It was dangerous that she'd fallen asleep, even briefly, especially if she was actively bleeding. They might be better off staying awake the remainder of the night.

He thought it was kind of peculiar she slept so soundly and woke so silently compared to how skittish she was while awake. If she had a nightmare, he was almost certain the sound would draw his attention.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he hoped Wendy arrived safely. She'd be coming tomorrow on the first train. After updating Master about Lucy's condition, Makarov decided Wendy would do better coming here than risking taking Lucy someplace else.

He hoped the sight of a familiar friend would ease her mind a little. Lucy wanted to jump back into action and go find her spirits, but she simply couldn't until she was healed. Maybe Wendy could even save her from severe scarring.

However, he feared she would not be psychologically prepared for a new adventure. She was still timid near him, and even if she felt comfortable around close friends that wouldn't help her with strangers. She didn't need to rush to the aid of celestials who could more than handle themselves.

Wendy would be there in the morning with Carla. Maybe she'd be less afraid around them.

"Should we worry about someone trying to break in tonight?" he asked, glancing towards the window. He'd already placed more than enough protection runes around them, but that didn't mean someone wouldn't show up. At least he wouldn't have to worry about something ridiculous like her getting kidnapped. As a precaution, he'd also set a requirement that she couldn't leave the room until morning, just in case she tried to do something irrational if he started to doze again. "Do you think whoever attacked you might be able to track us?"

Lucy flinched but didn't look surprised by his question, shifting around under the blanket. "I don't know if he'll bother following me. He got what he wanted."

"And what exactly was that?"

"My keys," she whispered, raising her head to meet his eyes. "He didn't need me once he got ahold of them, but he kept me in the basement for three more days."

Freed frowned, watching her face fall as she thought back on her experience. Glancing away for a moment he reached across the bed, trying to ignore the way she stiffened. He picked up the bathrobe lying there, gently handing it to her. "I tried to lay it over you but you kept pushing it off."

"Thanks," Lucy replied, forcing a smile. Holding the towel with one hand she pulled the bathrobe on over herself, tying it over the towel. "It's cold tonight."

"Probably the wet hair," he mused, eyeing her scalp. "I can find you a fresh towel if you want, but I haven't found anything else in the room for you to wear. Perhaps when Wendy is here in the morning I can go looking."

This time she did genuinely smile, the expression tugging at her lips. "That would be nice."

He nodded, bracing for the argument he could feel coming. "Lucy, I know it's difficult but you will need to tell someone what happened. If not me perhaps Wendy when she arrives. We will return to Magnolia as soon as you're healed."

Her lip quirked up a moment into an almost smile before the expression dropped again, her eyes drooping. "I'll have to tell Master I didn't complete my request."

"I'm sure that's the least of his concern," Freed admitted, surprised. She wouldn't look at him now, turning her head slightly away as he spoke. "He was worried about your wellbeing and asked Wendy personally to come here instead of heading back right away after her mission. Master doesn't care if your job goes unfinished."

Lucy raised her head, turning to meet Freed's eyes. "But I wouldn't have lost my keys if I finished."

"How would the completion of a job affect the loss of them?"

She smiled, surprising him with such a bright emotion even as her eyes filled with tears. "If I complied, he promised to leave them all alone. He…" she let her voice trail off, the smile slipping off her face.

"Complied to what?"

"Nothing."

Taking a breath, he pushed down his frustration. Just because he wanted an answer didn't mean she owed him one. Glancing at the clock, he noted how late it'd gotten.

"Well, we only have a few hours until Wendy and Carla should be here. What do you want to do until then?"

* * *

"Oh, Lucy," Wendy said, her eyes welling with tears as she studied the blonde. Presently, Lucy was doing her best to not look towards her young friend, much to Freed's disappointment.

He'd hoped she'd be excited to see someone she was close to, but all he saw in her face was shame. So far since the bluenette showed up she hadn't looked in her direction, keeping her eyes downcast.

"Has she been that way since you found her?" Carla asked, sitting on the sofa beside him. They stayed back, watching Wendy chat with her silent friend as she went around fixing the different marks on her skin.

"She talked a little before, but mostly she's been quiet," Freed agreed, looking around. Carla already took initiative and got some clothing from downstairs for Lucy, so at least that was taken care of. He was marginally terrified of trying to find something the girl would wear. "She hasn't really told me much about who attacked her."

"Master feared she was in bad shape," Carla sighed, "but I don't think he imaged this." She watched Wendy heal some of the cuts on Lucy's shins, the largest marks on her back having been dealt with already while Freed showered. "I imagine Master Makarov already told the other members of Team Natsu, and I will almost guarantee that they will beat us back to Magnolia. Lucy will feel better when she's home."

Freed nodding, having the same thoughts. If her team was on their way back, she'd be safe when they got home. Maybe she'd even divulge what happened to her when she felt more comfortable.

He imagined he wouldn't need to do much as soon as the others saw her. Natsu would get _all fired up_ and try to hunt down whoever hurt her even without knowing. Erza would attempt to corral him, Gray would become infuriated with Natsu's temper, and the entire experience would go up in smoke while they argued.

Blinking, he reconsidered. Maybe it wouldn't be such smooth sailing when she was back with her friends. They had proven on numerous occasions handling a situation in an orderly manner was not their strong suit.

At least things would be normal when that happened. Freed had no idea how to help her, much less what to do to make her feel comfortable enough to tell him what happened in that house. She hadn't felt like she needed to last night, so why would that change?

"I think your head is alright," Wendy said, breaking his train of thought. "It looks like the blood in your hair is a result of the other wounds. I haven't noticed anything else, but you might want to take another shower after you eat to get the rest of the blood off."

Lucy nodded, looking a little better than before. She was still wearing the bathrobe, Carla's bundles of clothes sitting beside her on the bed. He could see that she'd even healed the scratches on her wrists. Her skin looked pale but better, no longer raw. Wendy couldn't do anything about chapped lips or the bags under her eyes, but she looked more like her old self again.

Smiling, Wendy wiped her brow and stood back. "Freed said he would order us some late breakfast before we head out. If you notice any pain in the shower let me know, you might have some stiffness in your joints."

Lucy's response was too quiet for Freed to hear even from his position on the sofa. They remained quiet as she slipped back into the bathroom, his ears perking up in case he heard her crying again.

No, he wasn't sure he needed to do that. Wendy was here, and she could probably provide more comfort than he would.

When the door clicked closed, Wendy turned to face him, her eyes wide with tears like when she first entered the room. "Who did this?"

"I already told you, I don't know. Lucy isn't comfortable enough yet to tell me. I was hoping she'd tell you."

"But that magic," she whispered, hugging herself. Carla hopped off her spot on the couch, moving over beside Wendy to pat her leg affectionally. "I could feel it. There was so much anger and darkness and _hate_ put into those wounds… what kind of wizard has that power?"

"We're always meeting new wizards," Freed reasoned, his brows drawing together. "This might be someone we don't know anything about. Whoever it was has enough knowledge of rune magic to cast a binding spell strong enough to keep her trapped. I don't know anyone with that talent."

"I just don't get why someone would want to hurt Lucy," she continued, looking down. "She is one of the nicest people I know. Who would want her keys other than a celestial mage? There aren't even that many out there."

Freed shook his head, unable to give her a real answer. He didn't know anything about what she was wanting, and he couldn't make up anything either. He simply didn't know.

Glancing to the bathroom again, he kept himself on edge. She hadn't made any noises yet, but that didn't mean she wouldn't. After last night, he'd be surprised if she recovered for a while.

 **A/n:** So, I cut this chapter off because I wanted to do another jump scene here and it was getting ridiculously long. Sorry for the delay in updates, time got away from me here. I tend to take my time or "slow-burn" with stories so don't expect Lucy and Freed to fall in love right away, it's just not my thing,

Now that it's April I feel I need to make an update on my stories so everyone knows what's going on. In October I will be getting married, so the wedding planning is well underway now! The closer we get to the big day, unfortunately the slower updates will become for a while but they will still happen, trust me there.

It's crazy to think I can officially tell my readers I'm getting married. When I first started on the site 9 years ago, I was barely old enough to use it and now I'm getting hitched! Thanks to everyone that's ready along, and don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter edited 8/24/18.**

"We will be back in Magnolia before you know it," Wendy said, smiling up at her friend. "I'm sure everyone will be glad to know you're safe."

Lucy nodded, pulling at the clothes she'd been given. Carla didn't exactly opt for her well-known short skirts and crop tops, but she did manage to pick a skirt and decent top. It covered her well enough, more than her clothes normally would. She was grateful.

She couldn't imagine showing skin right now, not after him.

Wendy's quick work managed to save her from scarring. Even the deep wounds across her back were gone, nothing but a memory now. The bruises that once covered her chest and stomach were faded too, and she was thankful Wendy didn't say anything when she saw the marks while healing her.

Glancing at Freed, she was glad even a margin of her dignity remained. He hadn't seen every mark, which was her only saving grace. He'd already seen her in the basement, she didn't want to imagine what his mind would come up with if he saw the bruising on her torso too.

"Are you ready?" Freed asked, his coat draped across one arm. They wouldn't be able to do anything about cleaning it until they were back at the guild, and by then Lucy feared it would be ruined. It was already dried with blood, and using the sink didn't seem to help.

She tried cleaning it a few minutes ago before he gently took it away, telling her to not worry about it. Honestly she felt terrible for ruining something he clearly enjoyed, but there was nothing to be done about it now. He wouldn't let her keep scrubbing at the stains anyway.

She nodded once, standing on her own. Carla purchased a pair of flat shoes for her, something she greatly appreciated. Walking in any sort of heel would be her downfall right now. She'd barely managed to eat anything for breakfast. Despite her malnourishment, the idea of food made her sick. Hours ago she was practically salivating at the idea of food, but when it was placed in front of her she could barely stomach a couple bites.

Well, most things made her sick right now. That was something she had no problem blaming on him. Hopefully she got her appetite back soon, noting that the pants Carla bought in her size were a little too big.

She followed the others out of the room, glad everyone was kind enough to not push her right now. She didn't think she could honestly talk to them, her mind a million miles away on her keys.

Could he really accomplish it? Using her spirits as a gateway, could he really-

"Everyone's worried about you," Wendy interrupted, oblivious to the dark thoughts circling in her head. "I haven't gotten to talk to everyone yet, but Master said they were rushing back to see you. Everyone should be in Magnolia by tonight, I'm sure they are excited to see you."

Her heartbeat picked up, fear setting in. What was she supposed to tell her friends? Wendy didn't dare pick her mind for details, and while Freed asked questions he wasn't pushy. But Natsu? He'd demand an answers so he could go fight the man that did this, not to mention Erza and Gray. Hell, she'd be lucky if the trio didn't start a riot to try and avenge her.

Feeling tears rising up, she swallowed thickly. She couldn't imagine telling anyone the truth, and while she loved her friends dearly they were not always the best at respecting boundaries. What if they pushed her to talk?

She was suddenly glad Freed and Carla were walking ahead of them, determined to get on the earliest train to Magnolia. Freed seemed to be decent at reading her, and that was the last thing she wanted. He might pick up on her apprehension, and she didn't want to talk about it right now.

Forcing a half hearted smile, she looked down at Wendy. "It will be good to see everyone again."

* * *

The ride back to Magnolia was more peaceful than Lucy was used to. Typically when she traveled with her team the journey to their destination was just as much of an adventure as the mission itself. With Freed and Wendy it wasn't nearly as exciting.

The same could not be said for the guild hall. She almost fought the group on going there, knowing there'd be a lot going on upon arrival. But she knew they wouldn't listen anyway, and she needed to face Master and the others sooner than later. If she thought she could slip in easily though, she was wrong. The moment she stepped in, it was like a sensor went off and everyone's attention was directed at her.

"Lucy!"

She was somewhat grateful she followed the other three into the guild, at least it gave them a brief moment to try and move out of the way before she was attacked. Too many arms folded around her, the concern her friends felt overbearing compared to what she thought she could handle.

Everyone meant well, but she felt her heartbeat picking up. For the first time in her life, she actually felt anxiety from her friends.

"What happened?" Erza was saying, her voice sounding far away even though she was in her face. "We were so worried, I made Gray come back early. Tell us what happened-"

"Let me see her," Natsu interrupted, pushing at Erza. "Luce, let me-"

"Give her space Flame-Brain," Gray snapped, somewhere to Lucy's left. "We can't just-"

"Lu, come sit down," Levy said, gently touching her shoulder. "We can-"

"Bunny girl needs rest," Gajeel interrupted, his voice lost in the sea with everything else. She didn't think he was touching her, but now she wasn't sure.

Too many people, too many hands.

They kept talking to her like she could hear them, but their voices were fading into a blur. Behind her closest friends she could see other members of the guild crowding around, everyone trying to show their support and concern.

They just wanted to help.

She felt her breathing hitch, and for a moment she thought she saw Erza notice. Looking around she tried to spot Wendy and Freed, but they were behind the others, their expressions distorted as her vision blurred with tears. Everyone was starting to look like a giant mass of color.

Her cheeks felt we but, she didn't remember that happening. She couldn't make out their individual voices anymore, the sound a buzz in her ears. Her hands shot up, clutching her chest. She felt her breathing pick up, panic setting in.

" _Hold still Blondie, you don't want those cuts getting worse do you?"_

She flinched, remembering his grin before he'd started beating her again. The way his eyes widened as he watched her, the glee in his expression. She didn't remember him being this way, yet he'd evolved into someone completely different.

"Lucy?"

The voices sounded closer, but she couldn't focus on them. She couldn't even figure out who was talking. She dropped down to her knees, trying to control her breathing as her cheeks grew wetter.

"Back up-"

"Give her space-"

"Freed-"

She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her shoulders shaking. The hands were gone now, but she still felt an impression like someone else was there, holding her down. It seemed quieter in the room, but she wasn't sure. She couldn't focus on what was around her, her mind slipping off into her thoughts.

" _Why won't you tell me?" he snarled, striking her again. She screamed, the pain ripping through her back. She'd lost the will to turn and look at him, the strikes across her skin burning paths each time he lashed out at her. Lucy screamed, trying to regain her senses. She didn't have her spirits there to aid her, she would need to do this herself._

" _Tell me!" he cried again, grabbing her roughly by the arm. He flipped her over, her shredded back slamming into the concrete. Pain shot through her body, the impact momentarily leaving her breathless._

 _Her eyes danced closed for a moment before he kicked her, her rips screaming in protest from the strike. She gasped, trying to scoot away from him. He grabbed her shirt, tearing the front to shreds._

" _If you won't comply, I'll force you."_

Distantly, she realized someone was holding her. She thought she might even be moving. Their scent was different than his, soothing compared to her vivid memory. She tried focusing, blinking several times before something caught her attention.

Green.

She smiled a little, recognizing Freed's hair. He looked nothing like her attacker, and she realized he was carrying her someplace. The more she focused on him the more aware she became, still panicky but able to focus on her surroundings again.

They were upstairs in the guild hall, apparently on their way to the infirmary. Freed was saying something she couldn't focus on, looking away from her as they walked.

Instead of trying to focus, she turned her face away from the chaos around her into his chest, realizing he was the scent that brought her out of the memory. He was comforting and secure, just like when he found her.

Lucy took a shuddering breath, squeezing her eyes shut. She had to get ahold of herself.

* * *

"Natsu, calm down," Erza commanded, leading the way to the infirmary. Technically Makarov only asked for Freed to take Lucy upstairs, but there was no way they'd abandon their Nakama that way. Gray was directly behind Freed, arguing with Natsu the entire way.

They wanted answers, and he seemed to know the most. Why did Lucy only calm down when he approached? Erza could be calming!

She opened the door, letting Freed carry Lucy into the room. She thought Natsu might explode if he didn't get some answers soon, practically throwing Gray to the other side of the hall to follow them into the infirmary.

"What the hell happened?" he seethed, stalking Freed across the room. Freed already warned Natsu once about his temper, watching the way Lucy seemed to lose herself downstairs around her best friends. Freed glared at him as he tried setting the blonde on the bed, failing to detach himself from her when she refused to let go.

"Yeah man what's going on?" Gray snapped, his shirt now gone.

Freed, while trying to pull Lucy's arms gently away from his neck, glared at the trio. "Calm down. You're scaring her."

Natsu reeled, fire jumping to life around him. " _I'm_ scaring Luce-"

"Natsu!" someone seethed, stopping the pink haired man in his tracks. Erza glanced towards the door, noticing the livid expression on Master's face as he entered. He only looked that serious when he was angry.

Lucy seemed to recognize Makarov, finally letting go of Freed's neck. Erza watched the exchange, surprised when he reached out to gently grasp her shoulder. It was surprising since the poor girl jumped away from literally everyone downstairs, yet she seemed to be searching for Freed's attention.

Erza narrowed her eyes, wondering how she became so certain she needed Freed by her side when the two weren't close. They didn't even have a story yet about what happened. She knew they met up on separate jobs, but that was all. From the little she'd gotten him to say, it sounded like Freed didn't know much either.

"Everyone out," Makarov sighed, glaring at Gray and Natsu. "I'm not going to argue with you children. I need to speak with Lucy and Freed in private."

Natsu, flames still dancing around his head, crossed his arms and looked towards Lucy. "I'm not leaving my partner. Lucy needs me."

"Lucy needs quiet right now," Makarov snapped, his gaze unwavering. "You can come back later if she wants company. Right now I need to speak with them alone."

"But Master-"

"No buts," he continued, looking at the members of Team Natsu in turn. "I'm not going to argue with you three. Your nakama needs peace, and I'm sure when things settle down she will want to see you. Right now you're just stressing her out and scaring her. Can't you see that, or are you too concerned about making sure she tells you what happened first?"

The trio glanced at each other, recognizing the sound of Lucy's quiet cries. Natsu glanced over his shoulder, his heart breaking at the pained expression on her face as she tried to hold it together. Freed was no longer holding her shoulder, instead sitting on another bed beside her looking as lost as the rest of them. She gripped the comforter so tightly it would be a miracle if it didn't rip, and occasionally her eyes danced around until they spotted Freed again, as though to ensure that he hadn't left.

He didn't want to leave his partner alone, but she wouldn't even look at him. She wasn't looking at anyone, her eyes downcast as if she couldn't bear meeting anyone's gaze. Despite what his heart told him to do, he listened when Erza demanded he follow her out.

He didn't want to leave, but he wouldn't argue right now. Not when Lucy looked so broken, and she didn't even want to face him. His hands tightened into fists, wondering who could've possibly harmed his teammate.

Natsu didn't care who it was. He'd kill them for touching her.

* * *

Freed was thankful it was finally quiet. With the others gone, he could focus on Master Makarov and Lucy. The blonde girl had stopped crying, resorting to looking at her feet as he gave a brief summary about what he knew of the situation.

Lucy didn't chime in once. He was worried she wouldn't tell them anything about who attacked her. So far all of his hopes were dashed, and she had yet to open up to any of her teammates. Maybe it was too soon, but he had hoped some of her usual light would come back.

"How are you feeling my dear?" Makarov asked, his expression softening when Freed finished. He could feel anger burning inside him for the harm she went through but kept himself in check, knowing it wouldn't help. She didn't seem able to handle anger right now, and he'd been angry about it since yesterday. Waiting a little longer to blow off steam wouldn't kill him.

Lucy just shook her head, disappointing Freed a little when she didn't speak. Makarov shot him a look, as though trying to read the body language between them.

"Can you remember the address of the house?" he continued when Lucy didn't speak. "I want to send a team to investigate the location and see if we can't find out anything else."

"Yes, I gave it to Evergreen on the way in. I figured you would want someone out there immediately. She can give it to whoever you want."

Nodding, he focused on Lucy. She still wasn't looking at them, finding her feet incredibly interesting. He sighed, knowing without asking that she wouldn't share. She'd cowered when her dearest friends approached her, as though she couldn't stand the idea of being touched. He felt a wave of anger setting in, hoping whoever did this tried to find her so they'd have another reason to fight and beat him down.

But he wasn't going to get anything out of her right now. Lucy was scared for reasons he couldn't fathom, and keeping her somewhere she felt uncomfortable wouldn't help.

"Freed, take Lucy home," he said simply, surprising the man. "Ward her house. Whoever she wants to stay with her can, but otherwise I think some time to herself would be good before everyone tries to question her. Does that sound alright Lucy?"

The blonde nodded once, causing Makarov to smile. Her action was a bit jerky but otherwise obvious, even if she did bite her lip immediately afterwards. Wendy's magic could only heal so much, and the spot she bit swelled with a drop of blood. Makarov frowned, wondering if she even noticed. He was glad to see that now that there were less people around she didn't seem as scared, which made him wonder if more than one person had attacked her. Shoving the thought out of his head, he looked towards Freed again.

"Keep the lacrima on you. Once Lucy decides who she wants to stay with her-"

"I-I can't go home," she interrupted, her voice stronger than Freed thought it would be. Both men turned towards her as her head whipped up, eyes widening. "He'll find me!"

"Who child?" Makarov asked, his eyebrows drawing together. She just shook her head, quickly taking back what she'd said.

"You don't want to stay here Lucy," Freed reminded gently, eyeing her. "Everyone wants to know how you are. They will want to come up here-"

"I can't go home," she reasoned, gripping the edge of the bed. "He said so. He knows where I live. He'll break through the magic and finish what he started."

Freed frowned, watching as she hugged herself, slowly curling into a trembling ball. Whatever the man told her, she looked absolutely certain that he would find her if she went home.

He didn't think the guild was a less obvious place though, and more people would want to check on her if she stayed. Staying here would just be bad for her mental health.

"What about someone else's house?" Freed continued, eyeing their master. "Perhaps Natsu's home or Erza's? They would both be fully capable of protecting you, Lucy."

"No," she whispered quietly, shaking her head. "He knows where they are. Who they are. He knows them. He'll try to hurt them too. It'll be my fault. Like my spirits getting hurt. Mine."

Freed seriously doubted someone could just waltz in and defeat any of her teammates, but he didn't say it out loud. She appeared to just be holding onto herself, willing the tears to remain at bay while she forced herself to continue the conversation. Lost for what he should suggest next, he looked towards Makarov for guidance.

"Where would you feel comfortable, Lucy?" he asked gently, glancing between the pair. "We only want to make you feel safe and secure. Wherever you feel the safest we will keep safe."

She didn't respond at first, staring between the two. Her eyes glanced towards Freed a few times, as though she wasn't sure what to say. After several moments of hesitation she spoke up, her cheeks coloring as she glanced at him. "He… I don't think he knows where you live, Freed."

His eyebrows shot up, taking in her words. It troubled him that she didn't seem to trust her friends, some of the closest comrades she'd had since joining Fairy Tail. He was fairly certain any one of them could protect her, but Lucy seemed to believe otherwise.

"If you believe that to be the best option you can stay with me," he said, nodding his head once. He wasn't entirely sure what he would tell her overprotective team, but he couldn't exactly ignore her wishes when she looked so scared. She was on the verge of a breakdown, and they didn't need Natsu breaking down the door when he sensed Lucy's tears. "We have to let the others know where you are though. They will panic if you just disappear."

She nodded stiffly, waiting for Makarov to agree. He relented, looking carefully between the pair. "You can use the back exit, though I don't want you making a habit of it. You should be able to avoid everyone that way, but they will want to know where you went. At some point you will have to talk to your teammates, my child."

"You can tell them," she said, standing abruptly. She didn't sway, something Freed had gotten used to since yesterday. Instead she looked determined, ready to bolt out the nearest door as fast as she could. "My team won't understand, but I hope they accept it. I… I can't face them yet."

Makarov nodded, despite the troubled look on his face. "Very well child. The two of you should leave if you intend on being left alone for a while. The others will notice your absence soon."

* * *

The moment as they got to Freed's home, he noticed she seemed to relax. The entire walk there she lagged behind, looking absolutely exhausted, yet the moment they crossed the threshold of his house she seemed to perk up slightly, her eyes actually looking around the space.

Well, at least she wasn't crying. She even lifted her head up instead of keeping it bowed, taking in her surroundings.

"I'm sorry to put you in this position," she said, standing just inside the house. She'd barely passed the threshold, clasping her hands together so tight they were turning white. "I don't really want to drag you into things, but he already knows where the others live." She hugged herself, keeping her eyes away from him. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

Freed titled his head as he watched her standing there, wondering what would happen when the others found out. He really didn't feel like having his house stormed by her teammates, and he hoped the rest of his own team stayed away for the night. They both just needed some peace and quiet before they would be able to figure out anything else.

"No one's going to get hurt," he assured, reaching to undo his coat. He realized he'd left it at the guild, having forgotten it someplace downstairs during the chaos. He'd have to fetch it tomorrow. He dropped his arms, keeping his gaze on the blonde. Now that she was all healed up she looked normal, but she was still much too scared for his liking. The physical evidence of her torture was gone, but he could still see the remnants of what happened haunting her eyes.

"Do you think he can get in here if he found me?" she asked suddenly, unconsciously gripping her shirt. He watched her movements, recalling Wendy's tears from earlier that day on the train.

" _Freed," she whispered, drawing him away from their seats. "Did Lucy say what happened? She had… all these bruises on her chest and stomach. They look like fingerprints."_

" _What do you mean?" he asked, trying to get the mental image out of his head. He'd gotten a rather enlightening view down the her shredded shirt and blouse last night, though he'd tried to not think about it much. He noticed some bruising and cuts, but he hadn't wanted to consider the extent of it._

" _Like-like someone held her down!" she cried, keeping her voice low. Freed was certain he knew where her train of thought was going, but wouldn't say it out loud. "Like someone…_ hurt _her."_

"No one can get in here unless you want them to," Freed assured, watching Lucy's movements. When he originally found her he thought she was just beaten, but her actions were starting to worry him. On their way to the his home she jumped away from someone passing by, her eyes wide with fear.

Just another man walking down the path, but she looked like her heart was going to leap out of her chest. He was surprised she didn't dissolve into tears in that moment with how badly she shook.

Lucy nodded, keeping her gaze away from him. Her eyes didn't look focused anymore, looking off at something he couldn't see. Freed didn't know how to get her to open up, even if he wanted her to. She needed to get whatever it was off her chest, but he got the feeling it was a long time coming at this point. Besides, he didn't know if he was mentally prepared for a response. Something about the way she acted made him afraid of her answer.

At least he'd seen that her underwear were intact when he'd accidentally gotten a full-view of her when she'd passed out last night. It wasn't a memory he was particularly fond of, and he definitely wouldn't say he could focus on her beauty when she was so beat up. But the mere fact he'd seen that article of clothing on her gave him hope she hadn't been raped.

He just didn't think he could ask the question. His mind wouldn't even go there if it wasn't for the large amount of bruising on her chest and torso, and her barely-there clothing.

And anyway, he figured she wouldn't give him a straight answer about it. If something happened she would dodge the question, and if not she'd just be uncomfortable and want to know why he asked in the first place.

He didn't need an answer right now, not after not even a full day had passed. He could wait.

"I'm glad," she whispered, interrupting his thoughts. He'd nearly forgotten they were having a conversation. "I-I'm not ready to face him yet."

"If you tell us who he is you won't need to face him," Freed reminded, thinking of all her friends back at the guild. They would leap at the chance to avenge her, and they didn't even know how hurt she might truly be. With an entire guild after one person Freed was certain they couldn't lose. "Your keys will come back safe and sound, and you will never have to face the monster again."

Lucy smiled faintly, shaking her head. "People can't avenge me Freed. At some point, this is a fight I will have to face head on."

He had serious doubts she could face anyone the way she was right now, but saying that might dissolve the little confidence she did have. Instead he decided to let the topic drop, forcing himself to smile. If they focused on something else maybe she would relax.

He hoped she'd feel up to seeing her friends and not panic. Today was a bit of a stretch, but maybe tomorrow she'd feel a little braver. Wendy and Carla were okay when they showed up in Crocus yesterday, and he was certain it was because of the mass amount of people who crowded her that she freaked out. If the trio could act calm and collected (and Freed nearly snorted when he realized those were descriptive words he was trying to associate with _Natsu_ ) she might truly appreciate their presence. If not, they would continue to frighten her, and he didn't even want to consider what that would do to their friendship.

"If you plan to stay here, at least let me show you your room," he reasoned, smiling kindly at her. He wanted to go back to her apartment where she would feel more comfortable, but so long as she was scared that wasn't an option. His house was unfamiliar to her, and he wasn't convinced she would find the same level of comfort here as she might sleeping in her own bed.

Lucy nodded, not nearly as excited as he hoped. They needed a distraction, but unfortunately with her mind on her spirits and attacker he didn't really know what would lift her up. Besides, he didn't know her well enough to take stabs in the dark. Books were an option, but he wasn't sure she could focus enough to actually read.

His house wasn't large, and a quick run up the stairs had them at the only two rooms in the place. He pushed the door open, letting her go into the guestroom first. He wasn't much for décor; a simple bookcase, table and chair the only accessories in the room besides the bed itself. At least it had a good view.

"I'm just across the hall," he said, scratching his head awkwardly as she looked around, "just in case you need something. I'm sure we will hear from the guild soon since we disappeared, so you should probably get comfortable. I can leave you alone if you wish."

"Just leave the door open," she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I think I just want to stay in here a little while."

Freed nodded, letting go of the handle. She didn't look at him again, her eyes cast outside. From the expression on her face, he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Turning away he entered his own room, hoping to find something to distract him from the blonde maiden. If he kept focusing on her, he'd just become more troubled. Looking towards his closet, he tried to make himself busy. He did need to find a replacement for his jacket until it got cleaned.

 **A/n: I really struggled with this chapter. I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but not how to make it super interesting, so pardon me if it's a little boring. I just absolutely hate stories that rush irrationally.**

 **Let me know how you think it's progressing. Next chapter we'll see more about Lucy's attacker and her missing keys. Any thoughts as to who it is?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: To give you an idea of the timeline for this story (and so that the timeline favors my characters) this takes place before the Tartaros arc and after the Grand Magic Games. Chapter edited 8/25/18.**

It was after dark when Freed finally had a visitor. He could hear the woman outside his door, yelling rather loudly about being locked out of his home. Freed never kept the wards around his abode up for his teammates, but these were special circumstances and he didn't want Lucy startled by people just walking in.

"I swear Freed, you better open this door!" Evergreen yelled, trying to be heard through the heavy wood. "You owe it to us! I know she's in there, there's nowhere else she'd go. Freed, stop ignoring me!"

He couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips as he approached the front door, letting it swing open on its own. He'd passed the guestroom on the way downstairs and saw Lucy actually sleeping somewhat peacefully, so at least his teammate didn't wake her yet with all that irate yelling.

"You don't have to scream so loudly," he reminded, rubbing the side of his head sheepishly as he opened the door. Bickslow was behind Ever, his babies circling lazily around his head. "If I had neighbors, they would have heard you."

"That's the _point_ ," she stressed, hands on her hips. She didn't look nearly as upset about being kept out as he expected. Evergreen and Bickslow were at the guild during Lucy's spectacle earlier, so they had to know something was going on. "Now, let us in. I demand an explanation."

" _Explanation_!" Bickslow's babies hummed, nodding along to her words. His tall companion looked just as interested, removing the shield from his face. He looked troubled, and Freed could tell that he was sensing Lucy's pain.

Freed glanced around. "Did anyone else follow you?"

"Maybe Natsu," Ever grumbled, waving a hand. "But we did warn him following wouldn't do him any good. So long as your wards are in place on one can get in. I told him you might not even let _us_ in." Her eyebrows drew together, irritation shining through. "And by the way - how dare you ward us out too? You've never kept us out before!"

"I rarely have company either," Freed reminded, sharing an amused glance with Bickslow. After so many years of being friends they were well acquainted with Ever's constant need to know everything. "I couldn't just have you two, or _Laxus_ for that matter, barging in here. Lucy's timid enough, she doesn't need some unexpected guests rummaging through the house."

Bickslow nodded, his eyes drooping. "She's in pain, I've been able to feel it since the guild hall. Even before the two of you came in, I knew something was wrong. Her soul is practically screaming. What happened?"

Freed sighed, thinking of the woman upstairs. They couldn't exactly avoid everyone, and in small groups she hopefully wouldn't be overwhelmed by people. Besides, it didn't make sense to ignore his friends and not let them in. It might not be his story to tell, but he wasn't just going to sideswipe his closest companions. If her friends showed up, he wasn't sure he could just turn them away either.

Everyone was worried about her, and rightly so. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how much company she could take. It took her a while to even get comfortable around Wendy yesterday, and she was a little girl.

So long as Lucy didn't come downstairs and literally walk into them, he didn't see why he couldn't invite the pair inside.

Pushing the door open wider, he let Evergreen inside first. "Come inside, and stop being so noisy. I think she's actually getting some sleep."

"So she isn't sleeping usually?" Ever asked, wandering into the house. Freed was usually pretty quiet to begin with, but the air within the structure was stale and solemn, like everything was on hold while waiting to see how Lucy fared. "What would make her stay awake? If I got tortured for days, the first thing I'd want to do is rest."

"Maybe because she was _tortured_?" Freed stressed, shaking his head. He flinched a little at her blatant choice of words, but it was to be expected. They hadn't waited around to see what Makarov said about the situation to the rest of the guild, but he knew it would be unwise to say too little. There would be questions after Lucy's reaction, and they couldn't just lightly brush it off, especially around their own teams.

Ever scowled, rolling her eyes as she looked away. "Well I'm not saying she isn't justified if she wasn't sleeping, I'm just saying Lucy is known for being, well... victimized. She's even become friends with people who have hurt her in the past. From what I can tell she doesn't usually hold onto those ill feelings for long. What's so different now?"

Freed pursed his lips, trying to figure out how to respond. He didn't know enough about what was going on to justify an answer, and he didn't exactly want to tell anyone his suspicions. If he told people what he thought happened, it would cause an uproar.

And if she wasn't assaulted, he was just creating more drama than necessary. No, he needed to talk with her first and get the real story before jumping to conclusions.

"I don't know," he replied, dropping his voice as Bickslow took a seat on the sofa. His babies were quieter today, somber from Lucy's radiated pain. He knew they could feel how stressed her soul was, and it couldn't be good for the little spirits. Subconsciously he reached to place his hands in the pockets of his coat before recalling that he still didn't have it, and dropped his hands back to his sides, the movement such a habit it was unconscious at this point. He wondered if anyone even remembered to pick it up. "She won't say. She hasn't even told me who attacked her yet."

"Did she tell her team?" Ever asked curiously, arching a brow.

"No, she didn't really want to talk to anyone. You saw her at the guild hall, she basically folded into herself."

Bickslow nodded, running a hand over his features. "Well, we didn't come here to intrude, even if Ever did start screaming when the wards rejected her." He paused, snickering as the vein above her temple began to bulge with her irritation. "Checking on cosplayer is a bonus, but really we needed to remind you Laxus is supposed to come back tomorrow. He wanted us all to go on a job, remember? Obviously, you aren't going to go now, and you know how he can be."

"Which means he'll be by wanting to know what happened to Lucy," Evergreen finished, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "And he will cause a lot more commotion than either of us did if he can't come in here. He'll want some sort of real answer Freed. I have no idea what you plan on telling him."

Freed grimaced, thinking about the only other time he'd ever locked his team out of his home. Oh, the ranting Laxus went through, completely put off that he didn't want the blond man in his home. Honestly, Laxus threatened to blow his door open if he didn't change his mind and drop the enchantment.

He definitely couldn't do that with Lucy here. He'd spent more than enough time getting the girl to trust him since yesterday, and he didn't want that demolished by his friends ramrod attitude to get into the building as quickly as possible. It didn't matter who it was; if someone tried to barge in here he knew it'd trigger whatever minor progress Lucy made with her fear and shoot her right back to square one where she barely said two words to him.

Laxus really was a good guy, but he had his moments. He knew his teammate even favored the blonde mage, despite his aloof attitude. Something about Lucy just rubbed him the right away and he didn't completely hate her as much as some of the others in the guild. He might sympathize just a little bit and not act like a total jerk when he showed up, and Freed had no doubts that he would show up.

Still, he couldn't just let Laxus waltz in either. There was no telling how Lucy would react, and he'd feel like shit if she panicked again.

"Maybe you can stall him at the guild until I can talk to her?" Freed said hopefully, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Of course, how could he forget that his best friend was returning soon? They had talked about it not even four days ago when he went off of a mission.

"If you think that'll work," Bickslow laughed, wiggling his eyebrows. "With Evergreen fawning over Elfman-"

"I don't _fawn-_ "

"-and his determination to find out the truth, you'll be lucky if we can stall ten minutes," Bickslow finished, winking at Evergreen. Her cheeks were red, hands clenched tight into fists.

"Well if you would ever take your damn eyes off Lisanna we might actually be able to talk to Laxus first!" she screeched, pointing a finger at him.

" _Lisanna! Lisanna!_ " the babies echoed, circling around Bickslow's head.

"T-that's not the point," Bickslow muttered, coughing into his hand. "I-"

He was cut off by a thud upstairs, causing the three individuals to pause and look at the ceiling. Freed's eyes flashed, knowing the wards hadn't been breached. More than likely something internal happened with Lucy, and she was reacting.

Freed didn't glance towards his friends as he made his way towards the stairs, already zoning them out. "You two should go. Laxus is a problem we can deal with tomorrow. He's going to find out something happened anyway, so let's at least try to control his temper until I can tell him... something."

He didn't wait for a response, climbing the stairs two at a time. He could hear the pair downstairs preparing to leave, Bickslow's babies saying something that fell on deaf ears. He really only had eyes for the partially closed door at the end of the hall, concealing the blonde mage.

Knocking just once, he pushed the door open gently and peered inside. "Lucy?"

It only took a moment for him to locate the girl, the shadows of the room momentarily masking her. She'd either fallen or thrown herself out of the bed, the messy and haphazard sheets a good indication and probably the resounding thud they heard downstairs. Now she had stuffed herself between the bookcase and the chair in the room, wedged between the pieces of furniture like her life depended on it.

Stepping cautiously into the room he got a better look at Lucy than just her toes and the top of her head, which poked out from her hiding place. She was shaking in the crevice she'd stuffed herself into, hands placed securely atop her head like she believed it would save her.

Distantly he heard the door downstairs close, realizing the rest of his team had departed. At least they didn't make a scene and come upstairs, the one thing he was grateful for right now. He didn't think Lucy could handle anything else.

As he moved closer the girl refused to look up, shrinking further into herself. A sinking feeling resonated in his chest, poor Lucy not even realizing who would be approaching her. Momentarily he wondered if she even recalled where she was before he crouched before her, placing a gentle hand on her head.

She jolted, whipping her head up immediately, arms shooting out to defend herself. She managed to scratch at her wrist with her broken nails, the weak defense not even enough to draw thin lines of blood. He didn't take his hand away for a moment, both surprised and saddened by he feeble attempt. That would never protect her against the man that did this. Lucy stopped waving her arms when she noticed Freed, hands flying up in front of her face a moment while she took several deep breaths, attempting to calm her raging breathing.

Freed didn't move, studying her red-rimmed eyes intently. Obviously she'd been crying again, but whether it took place during her nap or after he couldn't be sure. When she finally accepted that she was no longer in danger and let her arms slowly droop he scooted back, taking his hand off her head as he moved back about a foot, sitting on the floor in front of her.

Her dark eyes danced over him, looking for something he couldn't place. Her hands clenched together before speaking again, her voice barely above a squeak. "I... I forgot I was here."

He didn't ask where she thought she was, reading the expression in her eyes. Even if he asked, she wouldn't answer. "You haven't gone anywhere," he replied smoothly. "You fell asleep a few hours ago, and I figured the rest would do you good."

Lucy flinched a little, seeming to disagree. Wrapping her arms loosely around her knees she looked away, staring at nothing in particular. "Sleep is the worst place to be."

"Why would you say that?" he asked with a frown, not understanding. Even if her mind could re-imagine everything that happened, none of it was presently real. "Dreams are something that we ourselves create. There is nothing that can truly harm us while we are in them."

"Unless they are nightmares," she muttered, eyes staring away. "All I've had for a week is nightmares... they won't end."

Freed pursed his lips, studying the girl in front of him. She looked better than before with the wounds cleaned and sleep finally relieving some of the bags beneath her eyes, but her eyes themselves looked haunted, like she still thought she was trapped back in the dream.

No, not a dream she'd said. A nightmare.

What really bothered him was the redness of her wrists and arms, like she'd been scratching the skin raw again. He didn't see any blood smears, but that didn't mean they weren't there. After all, she did manage to draw the tiniest bit of blood from him moments ago. Deciding to let his inspection go for the time being he smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

She was terrified right now of whatever she'd dreamed. Getting her to talk in this moment would be difficult.

"Let's go downstairs," he said, standing slowly enough to not startle her. He extended his hand, and after several moments of hesitation she took it, letting him pull her up. Her eyes locked on the scratches she left for a moment, and he sincerely hoped she didn't start feeling guilty about that. "I'll order something for dinner."

"Oh, you don't need to do that, Freed," she said immediately, retracting her hand to awkwardly rub her head. "I'm not hungry."

He rolled his eyes, beckoning her to follow him. "I don't care if you're hungry, you may not want to eat but you need to. It's important for your recovery. Who knows, maybe you will feel inspired after eating something delicious and you'll tell me what happened."

She looked away, eyes searching for anywhere else but him. On that note, he assumed she wouldn't tell him no matter what they ate that night.

* * *

Lucy actually ate more than Freed expected. After all her complaining about food she managed to down a good amount, almost more than he did.

He wondered if she would get sick from that, and decided to try and watch her tonight. After all, she didn't need to throw up after actually eating something so ravenously. Apparently the hunger finally won out.

Sitting in his living room now, the meal passed in mostly silence. No matter how he tried to lure her into conversation, even about topics that had nothing to do with the past week, she kept freezing up and saying so very little.

He didn't expect her to give a play by play of her experience but damn, didn't she want to talk about anything?

Freed practically gave up after that, letting the silence loom over them as they finished eating. Lucy seemed content with that, leaning back hesitantly in the chair she'd sat in, staring out the window at the darkened sky.

"Thanks," she said quietly, refusing to look at him. "For not letting everyone barge in I mean. I know I was... panicking, but I heard Evergreen and Bickslow here."

He smiled, fighting his patience. Freed usually didn't mind slow and easy going situations, but not knowing what to do with the blonde irked him. Without her feeling comfortable enough to open up he wasn't too sure what to do when talking to her, and he never knew what set her off.

Who knows, maybe his friends set her off earlier.

"They understand," he replied, studying her. "Like everyone else at the guild. They just want you to feel better. I'm surprised Natsu and the others haven't barged in yet, but if you want my opinion they are probably hanging out nearby watching the house to make sure no one dangerous can approach."

Lucy dropped her head, letting the spoon she'd been holding slip back onto the table. "I don't want them wasting their time doing that. They could be doing... anything else."

"I don't know if they are or not, Lucy. That's the only reason I can assume as to why they haven't broken down my door yet. Your friends aren't exactly controllable."

"No, they definitely aren't," she mused, a smile briefly dancing across her lips before it slipped off again, and she pushed the empty dish away to hug her torso once more.

"I assume they will show up tomorrow," he continued, glancing out the window behind her. He hadn't seen any magic outside, but he could almost feel other people around the building. If Erza was with the group, and he had no doubt that she was, she'd reason that his home was warded or Master would not have allowed Lucy to leave the guild. "I just hope they don't destroy the whole house when they do."

"I'll make sure they don't," she replied quietly, forcing a smile this time. He wasn't sure that was true when she couldn't even handle him gently touching her head, much less trying to blow a building to pieces. He suppressed a sigh. Eating only seemed to be doing her so much good. Emotionally she was still stretched too thin and worrying herself too much.

And despite knowing that she would ignore him, Freed decided to try and pick her brain again.

Folding his hands beneath his chin, he studied the girl intently. They hadn't thought to stop by her own apartment, needing to get her someplace she felt secure. Without the luxuries of her own clothes he didn't have anything she could change into, and he didn't know if offering up something from his closet would be appreciated or frightening.

He guessed it depended on what happened to her. After all, she could stay in what she was wearing if she felt more comfortable.

As if reading his mind, Lucy lifted her gaze and met his eyes for the first time all day. "I don't want anyone going to look for him. I know we've faced him before but... he's too strong now."

Interested, Freed leaned forward in his seat. She'd actually said something about the person who attacked her without needing prompting. It was broad, but it was a start. "Who faced him?"

Lucy smiled slightly, eyes dropping down to her lap. "Natsu of course. Erza faced him once, and I think Gajeel's fought him too. He's such a different person now though I don't know if the outcomes would be the same." Her eyes dropped, the thought saddening her. "How could they possibly win now?"

Despite being frustrated he pushed down his feelings, glad she was opening up even a little. Her team fought too many enemies to keep track of, and Freed didn't feel like he was actually getting any closer to an actual answer. "What's changed then?"

Her hands seemed to clench against the wood of the table, shoulders tightening at his question. "Everything. Everything's changed, he's not even himself anymore."

"Who-"

"How can he be himself?" she continued, rattling on like he wasn't there. "He's not even with his team anymore... but how could he be? They've disbanded, they only have certain members together still, and e-even then I don't know if they believe him. Even Cobra isn't really a member anymore..."

Freed stiffened, trying to place the name. Oh yes, the Dragon Slayer from the Oracion Seis. He hadn't heard much from him in months... not that he knew much to begin with. But it didn't seem like Lucy was talking about him.

Scowling, he tried thinking a little harder. If he knew more about the Seis, that might actually help him out.

"Is it someone from the Oracion Seis?" he asked aloud, recalling that there were slightly different members in the original group and the reformed. He didn't do a lot of battle with the first group, and the second time around he was partnered with Gray in a not-so-perfect duo combination...

Lucy flinched when he said that, letting go of the table to stand up. Freed knew without a doubt that none of the members of the Oracion Seis knew rune magic the last time they did battle. Either a member knew something new, or there was an outside player helping out whoever attacked her.

He just didn't understand why. Lucy mentioned other members of her team fighting whoever attacked her, not specifically her herself. So why bother going after her and her keys?

Evergreen's tactless words from earlier came to mind, but he quickly disregard them. He'd seen Lucy in battle a few times, and when push came to shove she could be a formidable partner and not play the part of a victim.

She wouldn't survive in Natsu's team anyway if she couldn't hold her own.

Trying to refocus on the girl in front of him, he realized she'd moved away from the table and was standing by one of the windows in his living room, looking at the drapes like she could actually see through them. She was shaking, the action barely notifiable but he'd gotten used to her fried nerves by now. He stood and approached the blonde, stopping a few feet away when she turned to him.

"Your runes are powerful... no one can get inside?"

Freed smiled slightly, glad she could at least sense the magic around them. Maybe it would make her feel a little bit better. "No, and even if they did get inside the runes would let us know the moment anyone tried to enter. We would be safely away before anyone could harm you, Lucy."

She bit her lip, reaching out to tap the barrier of magic lining the walls. He couldn't just let her wander off if she got inspired to run. The magic would keep her inside the house tonight too, just like it ensured she stayed in the room last night at the hotel. Letting her wander off when she was in great distress would be a serious mistake, one no one would let him forget.

"He can still get inside," she said quietly, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter how far we go, he can still find me. He just doesn't know where this house is yet. I'll have to leave when he figures it out or your home won't be safe anymore either."

Freed arched an eyebrow, wondering what kind of threats someone had to make to cause Lucy to believe she had to run before trouble even arrived. Recalling the marks he'd seen on her the day before, he decided to not go down that path. "You don't need to worry Lucy, I can more than handle an attack, and so can you. We won't be found, but even if we were there's nothing to fear."

"You don't know that," she said, her voice pitching a little higher with panic at the very idea.

"I do," he countered, stepping forward to gently touch her arm. She stiffened a moment under his grip before relaxing, her eyes still weary. "Tell me who attacked you. If you don't I'll have to find out from your teammates who they've fought before from the Oracion Seis, and you know they will immediately take off to fight him."

Eyes widening, she reached out and grasped his shirt. "You can't do that! He's stronger than before..."

Reaching up he gently removed her hand from his shirt, smoothing out her fingers until the tension left her hand. "Then tell me who it is so no one can be caught off guard. If you keep this a secret Lucy, even if you are scared of the person who attacked you, then he could show up and cause problems with your friends. You think he's holding a grudge with them? It'll be worse if they aren't prepared."

She nodded, the action jerky as she pulled out of his grip and fell on the couch, grabbing her head. She took several breaths before looking at him again, the stress in her face an indicator of how troubled she was.

"He can see into my nightmares," she muttered, holding his gaze. "The less I sleep the safer I'll be. When I sleep... he can play with my head. He'll trick me. He will find out where I am and come back." She laughed humorlessly, shoving her hair back as she held Freed's gaze. "He would do that w-when I passed out from the torture. He couldn't let me rest... why would he when he could continue mentally attacking me too? Do you understand now? I'll never escape him."

"I don't," he replied, moving to sit beside her. "Someone who can control nightmares should not also be a master of rune magic. Are you sure only one person attacked you?"

She didn't flinch this time, holding his gaze. "Midnight doesn't need to be a master. He can always find someone to aid his cause, who wants revenge. That's why Cobra left after the Neo-Oracion Seis stint and his time in prison. He's lost people but it doesn't matter! He always has someone who's willing to listen because he's Brain's son."

Freed nodded along, trying to keep track of all the names she was saying. He didn't recall fighting a Midnight before, but the name was vaguely familiar. Brain? He had no idea who on earth she was talking about, but it was enough to cause the girl to tremble at the mere mention of his name.

Whoever Midnight was, and whatever reason he had for taking her keys, was enough for Freed to hate him. If that was all he'd wanted, keeping the girl locked up and torturing her was overkill.

There was definitely more she was avoiding saying, but he couldn't push her. She already appeared to be on the brink of panicking, and he didn't want her freaking out. He had a feeling Natsu was lingering nearly, and the last thing he wanted was an irate dragon slayer trying to break in because his friend was hurting. That would just freak her out even more.

Instead he reached over, awkwardly wrapping an arm around her hsoulders in a half-hug. Comforting people really wasn't something that he was good with, but it didn't matter. Lucy practically threw herself into his arms, shaking but thankfully not sobbing.

He could handle that.

Adjusting so he could pat her back as she shook, he glanced towards the window. Now he had a name, albeit a foe he had never personally faced, but a name nonetheless. It might sate the anger of the other guild members to have a target to go after, even if Lucy didn't want to trouble them. Anything would be better than sitting around waiting for her to get better.

If her attacker was dealt with, no more problems, right?

* * *

Lucy fell asleep shortly thereafter, her body still in the recovery phase of her experience. He let her sleep on the couch, deciding there was no harm in it. Any sleep was good for her right now. Freed waited until he was absolutely certain she was out before walking onto the porch of his house. He couldn't soothe a nightmare right off the bat, and he didn't know if he'd be all that good at it.

Besides, he had a message to deliver.

As he had expected, Natsu popped up almost immediately when the door closed, jumping rather quietly onto the porch as Erza and Gray emerged from the tress. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants Freed took in the slayers anxious expression, one he wasn't used to associating with the salmon haired man.

"How is Lucy?" he asked, barely stopping his jump before asking the question. "Is she okay? I haven't heard her screaming or anything, but her scent is still faint..."

Freed understood. She'd been attacked and slathered up with healing magic, she hadn't had a shower since arriving and was in a space predominantly dominated by him. Of course her scent was weak here.

"She's holding on," he assured, glancing at her teammates anxious faces. Despite how much trouble they could cause it was endearing to see how much they cared. "She's resting now, but I don't know for how long. She said her attacker can find her in her dreams."

"How is that possible?" Gray asked, rubbing his head. For once he had all his clothes on, and Freed hoped things could stay that way.

Shrugging, he looked at each of his guild members in turn. "I'm not very familiar with this type of magic, but she said some of you have fought this man before. Midnight? I don't know anything about him-"

"Of course," Erza interrupted, crossing her arms. Freed almost took a step back when she started radiating power, but held his ground. "He can cause you to see illusions like a nightmare. I suppose it would make sense that he can enter your mind and make those nightmares seem real, but that is very advanced magic and not something he pocessed the last time we fought..."

"You mean that creeps the one who hurt Luce?" Natsu seethed, the same overwhelming power jumping off of him. Freed felt like he was slowly being chased off his porch. "How dare he-"

"I don't know if he's the only one, or if he's simply learned new magic," Freed interjected before Natsu went off on a rampage. "If his magic is stronger it's possible he's learned other types too. The runes I found Lucy trapped in isn't something an amatuer could create. But aside from myself and Levy, I'm not familiar with other mages who use this type of magic."

Erza nodded, thinking over his words, but Freed could feel the anger radiating off Natsu and wondered if he would be able to hold it together. Gray seemed slightly more level headed, but still just as angry. He knew telling her team was a gamble, but out of everyone he assumed they would have the best impression of this Midnight fellow and would know what to do.

He hoped so anyway.

"We'll start searching right away," Erza said, her tone much deadlier than before. She reached out, clasping both men's shoulders in a death grip. "Come on boys, we know exactly who to go after. We'll tell the guild in the morning, and there will be no chance he will ever touch Lucy again."

Gray nodded, the same anger present in his eyes but he at least seemed more appeased. The pair turned to go but Natsu remained, looking uncertain as he stood there.

After a moment he shrugged something off his back, and Freed realized he'd been carrying a pack. Handing it over he glanced towards the upstairs, and he knew the slayer was searching for Lucy. "Give this to her. It's some stuff from her apartment I thought she'd want."

Freed smiled faintly, surprised by how kind the man could be. Usually he only got to see Natsu's wild or angry side, so seeing something so kind from him was a nice change. He hesitated another moment before turning to follow his friends, looking like the action nearly killed him.

Considering how close the two were, Freed imagined it did kill him inside, just a little.

Gripping the bag he turned back towards the house, steeling himself. What was he supposed to do exactly if she awoke from a nightmare, and how was he supposed to tell if she was suffering from one in a different room?

Reaching towards his head, he suppressed the urge to groan. Maybe there was a reason she hadn't slept much in the hotel after all.

 **A/n:** Thanks for following along with the story and let me know your thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter edited 8/25/18.**

Freed, no matter how hard he tried, just couldn't get to sleep. Even when he'd start to doze he found himself waking up only a couple minutes later, listening for the sounds of Lucy's cries. He was so certain she'd wake up screaming he couldn't seem to lull his mind to sleep, and constantly found himself glancing towards the door. She'd woken up shaky but okay not long after her team left, and he guided her bleary-eyed self upstairs where she collapsed again without much convincing. That was good, but he wasn't sure how long the sleep would last.

Maybe he wasn't giving the blonde enough credit. She'd been tortured before and survived the experience mostly unscathed, always smiling like it didn't bother her. But this time it was like her spirit couldn't lift itself back up, either from the loss of her keys or the experience in general, Freed wasn't sure.

Either way, he was worried she'd have a full blown panic attack if he fell asleep, and the poor girl would suffer alone. She'd already suffered enough, he'd feel god awful if he left her to her own devices through something like that.

At least both doors were cracked open. He didn't have heightened hearing like Natsu did, and if she kept too quiet he might miss her cries through closed doors. Lucy left her own door open and he just followed suit, seeing no reason why he couldn't.

Glancing at the clock, he realized it was well on its way to four in the morning. At this rate he wouldn't get any sleep, and he'd be lucky to hold a conversation in the morning. How she managed to survive on so little sleep, he didn't understand. There was no way she was getting eight full hours like she should be, definitely not since he'd rescued her.

Noise outside his home caught his attention and he immediately sat upright, narrowing his eyes in the dark. No one should be prowling around at this hour; he didn't have enough neighbors around to blame it on someone else, and if either of their friends were back they'd make it obvious.

Leaping out of his bed he stopped at the nearest window, peering out. In the shadows he couldn't see anything specifically hiding there, but that didn't mean there wasn't danger hiding just outside his barrier.

Didn't she say this fellow's name was Midnight? Midnight and shadows seemed to go together, so logically there was a high chance someone could be hiding outside.

"What are you looking at?"

Freed flinched, glancing over his shoulder. While busy studying whatever he thought he'd heard he completely missed Lucy getting up, padding her way across the hall to his door. She remained just outside, bouncing uncomfortably on the balls of her feet like she wasn't sure if she could step into the room or not.

Giving the outside world one final glance he turned away, knowing his wards would alert him if someone tried to enter the house. If they didn't go outside tonight the threat really wasn't there, and he didn't want to alarm her if she hadn't noticed anything.

"Nothing, I'm just being watchful," he replied, forcing a smile as he approached. She was still wearing her outfit from before, Natsu's thoughtful drop-off sitting by the doorway to his room. He scooped it up on his way, handing the familiar bag off to her. In the light of his home he'd realized it was pink, one more personal thing Natsu brought with him from her apartment. "Here, I'm sure Natsu packed something for you to sleep in. He brought this by earlier."

Eyes widening, she gently took the bag in her hands, eyeing it like she was surprised. "He brought this by?"

"Earlier, he and the rest of your team are very worried about you. They just stopped by while you were sleeping to make sure you were okay. I'm sure they will come by and visit again when you are feeling up to having visitors."

She blinked, the action almost lost in the dark. If the moon wasn't out he might've missed the gleam in her eyes. She squeezed the backpack to her body, holding on until her knuckles started glowing white in the moonlight too. "Did... did you tell them about _him_?"

He frowned, tilting his head to one side. "Lucy, I'm not going to lie to your team. They are extremely worried about you and want to make sure you're alright. I know your frightened of him-"

"That's why I don't want them knowing!" she snapped, surprising him with her outburst. She reached out, smacking him across the chest to annunciate her point. Only then did Freed recall he wasn't wearing a shirt, but Lucy went on like she hadn't noticed. "They'll be in danger! Why do you think I didn't want to go to their houses, or my own apartment? He knows them, and if they go to fight him they will get hurt-"

"You should have more faith in your team," he remarked, cutting her off. "I know you're constantly worried about others safety, but they are some of the strongest mages in the guild. Do you seriously think someone who plays with nightmares can defy them?"

Lucy paused, shrinking back into herself. Whatever fire he'd ignited from telling her friends was gone, replaced by the same fear as before. "It's not just nightmares..."

"No, I imagine nightmares didn't make all those marks," Freed snapped, crossing his arms. He probably shouldn't be arguing with her and feeding the fire, but he knew there were plenty of things she was avoiding telling him. She took a step back from him, eyes widening as he broached the topic. "Half of them looked like someone intended to slice you in two."

She flinched, but didn't turn away. He was somewhat surprised she didn't drop her gaze, her prior actions making him believe she wouldn't speak to him about this. "You're not entirely wrong."

His expression softened, watching the way her shoulders dropped as she spoke, eyes dancing with amplified fear. "Look, you don't have to tell me everything right now Lucy, but you do need to be realistic. Avoiding telling me _how_ he hurt you will jeopardize your friend's wellbeing if they attempt to engage him in a fight. We wouldn't want them, or anyone else, hurt the same way you were."

Nodding, her arms let go of the bag, letting it drop back to the floor so she could wrap herself in a hug, her shoulders shaking. Freed relented, deciding pushing any more would only cause her to break down, and it was far too early in the morning for that.

Bending, he picked up the bag and returned it to her again, forcing her to grip the strap until she managed to hold it. "Why don't you try changing? I'm sure you will feel better in your own clothes. I won't be able to sleep for a while now, so if you want you can join me downstairs. Company is always better so early in the morning."

Lucy nodded, taking the bag and practically running back to her designated room. Freed sighed as the door slammed shut, echoing in the quiet house.

Maybe he was pushing too much, but he needed to know. He was almost certain someone was lurking outside, and if he needed to fight he'd at least like to be awake to do it. Besides, it'd be way easier to guard Lucy if he could see her, and if he really knew what he was facing.

Turning, he made sure to grab a shirt before heading downstairs. Lucy may have been momentarily distracted when she was worried about her friends, but he didn't need her freaking out that he was half naked. If she didn't even like being touched he didn't imagine that she'd feel any better seeing him like that in the light.

Running his fingers through his messy hair, he grabbed his sword and headed downstairs. So much for sleep.

* * *

Lucy tabbed her fingers against the spine of the book, trying to focus for the fifth time. Freed gave her one to read earlier, though she could no longer recall the title. She had yet to focus on it, distracted by the man before her.

It was after dawn now, the early sunlight leaking into the room. Freed wasn't there any longer, off doing something in the kitchen. She hoped it had nothing to do with cooking, not after listening to him grumble to himself about the delicacies of fish for breakfast.

She annexed that plan pretty fast when he asked her what she thought of the idea, her expression saying it all when he quickly changed topics, thinking it might be best to order something in to eat later on. After all the horrifying things she'd heard about his cooking, she wasn't sure she could stomach it this morning. Eating was hard enough.

He had yet to come back into the living room, and she was starting to wonder if she had annoyed him. After all, she was leaching off of him, hiding out in his house like they were great friends or something. She knew he saw something outside last night, his eyes constantly glancing at the windows even as they sat downstairs. He didn't talk about it, but made her more worried. Did he think someone followed them?

Had he found her already?

Her hands automatically clenched around the book, small spasms dancing down her spine at just the thought. He'd left her in the basement when he'd had his fun, and she was certain if he found her again he would finish the job. If he was lurking nearby he'd snatch her up the moment she stepped out of Freed's home, precautions be damned.

Glancing towards the kitchen, she thought of the man who saved her. Of the Thunder Legion, Freed was the second strongest, only surpassed by Laxus who had Dragon Slayer magic on his side. It took a lot to beat him, and she knew Midnight would have to put up a fight if they faced each other.

But she didn't want Freed or anyone else fighting for her. She just wanted everything to go away, including the memories. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm herself. Freed was notorious for his rune magic, so nothing could get inside without them knowing.

 _I imagine nightmares didn't make all those marks._

Freed's words from earlier echoed in her head, causing her to shudder. He was right, nightmares didn't shred her back or beat her senseless. They didn't slash her or stab her or-

She thought she felt something on her shoulder and flinched, clenching her hands tighter. No, she didn't want to be _touched_ -

 _"Lucy-"_

Dropping the book, she grabbed at her arms, digging her nails in until she felt little jabs of pain. He couldn't touch her here, they had to leave her alone-

"Lucy! Open your eyes."

Eyes snapping open, she looked at Freed who was sitting on the table in front of her now, hands wrapped around her shoulders. She blinked, forcing herself to calm down enough to slow her breathing, telling herself she didn't need to cry.

It was just _Freed_. He wasn't out to hurt her.

"Let go," he continued, sliding his hands down her arms until he met hers, prying her fingers out of her skin. Looking down she could see dark patches beneath her broken nails where she assumed blood pooled. She was pushing hard, she just hadn't noticed when she broke the skin. "Don't do that to yourself, there's no need."

Lucy nodded, adverting her eyes. At least he was wearing a shirt now, which was a step up from this morning. She's intruded on his room, so it wasn't all that much of a surprise that he was half dressed, but it still made her blush.

He wasn't trying to make her uncomfortable, she had to remember that. But only two days - three now, it was morning - passed since her ordeal, and she wasn't going to just get over it. This was different than the other times she'd been captured and beaten.

Usually it was for an audience, with a bunch of people beating on her. Rarely was it one person, and it was even less common for the experience to last more than a few hours, maybe a day. Staying in the basement for almost a week...

She fluttered her eyes, forcing back the tears before Freed could notice. He'd helped her out so much, she didn't want to look totally helpless in front of him.

She needed to do _something_. Automatically, her fingers drifted towards her hip, stopping short when she recalled that she wouldn't be seeing her spirits again anytime soon.

Freed noticed, gaze softening a little. "We'll find your keys Lucy, don't worry."

A choked laugh escaped before she could stop it, startling the man in front of her. "No, I'm… I'm not worried about that. He _promised_ to return them when they are finished."

He narrowed his eyes, studying her again. She knew she'd used the term _they_ just then but couldn't quite make herself care. Freed wasn't pushy, at least not yet. He had some semblance of knowing she needed time to think, and while she knew that time was limited he wasn't going to force her to talk just yet.

She couldn't tell him how grateful she was.

A pound on the front door had her jumping up, immediately bracing her arms in front of her, prepared to fight. Freed watched her move, the subtle shake of her arms as she held them out to protect herself a clear sign she wasn't doing well.

Lucy ignored his eyes, focused intently on the door. An intruder wouldn't just knock.

"It's Laxus," he grumbled, drawing Lucy out of her fears. "Evergeen told me he'd be stopping by, he just got back into town. I thought he'd wait until later to actually come by."

"Oh," she replied, letting her arms fall down to her sides again. It couldn't exactly be called relaxing, but at least she wasn't so tense. "Laxus."

Freed smiled, stepping away from her towards the door. "I set the wards specifically so that our friends wouldn't trip an alarm, but they couldn't just waltz in. If this was really an intruder we would know. Even takeover magic wouldn't be impervious to my runes."

Despite herself she smiled, surprised how thoughtful he could be. For someone she spent so little time with up to this point he was awfully considerate of her needs and fears.

Then again, he was the only one to see her in that basement, so he was the only one who had any idea why she was so hesitant…

"Yeah, yeah," Laxus said, cutting into something Freed was in the middle of explaining, "Bickslow gave me the whole rundown. Everyone's already running around at the guild. I heard Natsu's team went to Crocus to check out that house."

Lucy blinked, wishing she hadn't gotten distracted at the beginning of the conversation. Her friends were running towards danger? That was the last thing she wanted! She didn't want anyone else to be in danger for their crazy ideas.

She had to be the one to confront them and retrieve her spirits. She'd already let them down once…

Her feet moved before she realized what was happening, carrying her to the entranceway as the pair continued talking. Laxus noticed first, peering around Freed to catch a glimpse of her as she hesitated by the wall, unsure if she wanted to move any closer.

Freed glanced over his shoulder, giving her a gentle smile. He was very encouraging so far, and she could see the hints of surprise in his eyes. Evidently he hadn't expected her to come out.

"Laxus just stopped by to see how you are doing," he explained, crossing his arms as he shifted to the side. Laxus didn't enter the house, studying her carefully from the doorway. His gaze wasn't the usual intimidating stare down that she was used to, but laced with something thoughtful behind the expression. To say he was concerned might be going a step too far, but he couldn't exactly be surprised to see her. He had to have known she was in the room.

With all the wounds healed, Lucy knew she at least didn't look awful. But the gentle knocking of her knees had her grabbing at the wall, leveling her gaze with Laxus. If she couldn't handle a member of her guild she'd be no match to the battle ahead.

And she would not lose twice.

Forcing a smile in return, Lucy felt herself closing her eyes as she tried to catch her bearings. The door was open a while now, and that didn't sit well with her. She had no idea if Freed's wards lapsed if the barrier was physically opened. "Hi Laxus."

He didn't respond for a moment, and when Lucy opened her eyes again she found him staring back with the same penetrating gaze. She couldn't gauge his expression, but could tell the gears in his head were spinning.

After a moment he nodded, jutting his head to one side. "Well, you don't look half bad, blondie."

 _Blondie._

She tensed, eyes widening as she let go of the doorframe to take a step back, hands shaking as she stared at the pair with widening eyes.

" _You're never going to escape me, blondie. I'll always be by your side, an long-lasting presence to haunt your days. Do you think my mark will leave just because the wounds may heal? It doesn't matter how far you go, how detached you become. I will never let you forget me."_

"Lucy?"

" _In dreams, while you're awake, while you're screaming, you will always think of me. The others are fools to forgive! We will not be appeased! Until I can dream in peace no one else will either, not even you."_

 _She screamed, the feel of hands digging into the tortured skin of her back caught her off guard, ripping the cry straight out of her throat. She couldn't control the wave of pain that swept over her, momentarily blinding her resolve to not give in to the beating._

" _Just sever the contracts," he snapped, voice wavering in her mind as she thought to stay conscious. Momentarily he pulled back, distracted by the person on the other side of the room. "I don't care how you get the keys, but take them! Blondie can't do anything with her spirits if the contracts are broken and besides, we need the spirits free."_

"…down," someone said, gently pushing her back into something soft. Lucy jolted, forced out of the sudden flashback. She tensed, finding herself no longer in the entranceway of the home.

Freed's home.

And Laxus was nowhere to be found. She didn't even sense his presence nearby.

Blinking, she tried to level her breathing out. Sometime between hearing Laxus call her _blondie_ and being dragged into the memory Freed pushed her back into the living room and forced her to sit down on the sofa. Clenching her hands to grip the sofa she closed her eyes, trying to get a hold of herself.

She was a mess. So far whenever she interacted with almost anyone she panicked for one reason or another. How was she going to face her friends?

Her enemies?

Freed sat on the table in front of her, looking just as disturbed as she expected. He folded his hands between them, focusing on her with too much intensity. "Who called you blondie?"

"I… what?" she asked, thrown by the question. Maybe he was too observant for his own good.

" _Blondie_. You reacted pretty badly when Laxus said that, but you don't seem to mind when I do. Something Midnight called you?"

She resisted the urge to flinch, silently chastising herself. She was too easy to read. "He… it's not something he's called me before."

"But he did," Freed reasoned, pushing her to talk a little more. He didn't come out and demand an explanation like Lucy believed many of her friends would, but he sure knew how to pick at the sensitive subjects. "And I believe it's acting as some sort of trigger-word for you now. I told Laxus to stop referring to you like that for now before I sent him away. I'm guessing it's something he would address you as before torturing you?"

Lucy bit her lip, hesitating before she replied. She didn't want to talk to anyone about this, Freed included. "Yes."

"Did he call you anything else?"

She scoffed, hands flying to grip her knees. "He called me lots of things, Freed. Lots of horrible things. Blondie just stuck. It was his _favorite_ endearment."

He nodded, eyes seeming to bore into her. Unlike with Laxus, Freed's gaze made her want to squirm. It was more penetrating, more perceptive of the situation. She could see the questions beneath his gaze. "Lucy, he _only_ tormented you, right? He didn't force anything else on you did he?"

Dropping her gaze, she felt the color disappear from his cheeks. "Did he rape me? No... he didn't have time for that. It was all about _getting their happy ending._ He had a one-track mind. He wasn't going to focus on that. But… but if I hadn't lost my spirits when I did, I-I don't know."

Freed leaned forward, momentarily giving her hand a squeeze. She thought she saw something like relief dance through his eyes. "Thank you for telling me that, Lucy. Nonetheless, it doesn't change the severity of what's happened. Why don't I order something for lunch? You look ready to drop right now."

She forced another smile. "Well, it's a lot to handle. I can't… I didn't even handle myself with Laxus and no matter how scary he can be, at least I know him. Pathetic, huh?"

Frowning, he shifted from the table to the sofa beside her. Momentarily she thought she would panic, but nothing happened. If anything she felt a little better having him closer. "There's nothing pathetic about you, Lucy. You're a very brilliant wizard, and you survived something quite terrible. You will adjust to things in your own time accordingly. Forcing it will only make it harder."

Almost immediately, she relaxed. Even if he dug at her for answers, he didn't push past what he believed to be a safe limit. Lucy greatly appreciated that, wondering how she would cope if he didn't let her handle things at her own pace.

Seemingly happy with her relaxed posture, Freed stood and headed to the kitchen. "I will order something in, I'll be right back."

* * *

Once in the kitchen, Freed took a moment to try and compose himself. Placing his hands together in front of him he focused the frenzied magic energy inside him, knowing he'd need to look for some sort of release today otherwise he was likely to cause something in the house to break.

 _It was his favorite endearment._

How could anyone find a nickname endearing while torturing another human being? And why did he pick something so common, something she would hear all the god damn time and have to grow accustomed to whether or not she liked it? Why did he got and steal her keys, why did he fucking _torture_ her-

Freed forced himself to stop that train of thought before he lost control of himself. The Thunder Legion wasn't known for being one of the most elite teams in Fairy Tail for nothing. He could feel his Dark Écriture magic bubbling up inside him, his right eyes blossoming to life as the magic inside threatened to take over.

He had to calm down. Overreacting would do no good, and it wouldn't provide the comfort Lucy seemed to be yearning for. If he lost control right now whatever limited trust she had in him would b shattered.

At least he had an idea now where the extent of the torture ended. But if he hadn't passed by the house when he did and found her, she may not be telling him the same story…

Shaking his head, he swept the very idea straight out of his head. It didn't matter what may have happened, here and now she was doing okay and she hadn't been raped. From the sounds of it all her physical fears were simply because of the torture inflicted on her body and mind. She was practically in pieces when he found her, and that kind of torture would fracture anyone's mind.

Straightening out, he dug around in the drawer for any sort of takeout menu. If he stalled any longer it might seem suspicious. He'd have to find a way to blow off magic power sometime later in the day.

* * *

 **A/n:** I don't always take almost a month to update, but when I do it's usually to come back with a so-so chapter. Next up we get to play with some magic and see Lucy want to progress! Maybe we'll even get an idea of who the culprit is aiding Midnight.

Until next time dearie's.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter edited 8/26/18.**

Freed, no matter how hard he told himself otherwise, just couldn't find anything satisfying about shredding the trees outside his house through the window.

Technically, he could be outside exerting his magical power, but thus far he'd seen nothing from Lucy that hinted she would actually be okay braving the outdoors right now. Since returning from Crocus she'd spent most of her time in his house avoiding the windows, and pretty much everything else.

Ever since the stint this morning with Laxus she'd secluded herself to the spare room, dragging with her probably too many books to read, but he wasn't going to argue. Instead he was leaning out his second story window using his sword to blow up random objects in the neighborhood.

He should really be using the training grounds or the woods for this.

Glancing back into his room he sighed, finding no satisfaction in the experience. He'd already tried another means of distraction, and several coats now lay strewn around his room in an effort to find something to replace his red jacket that was still seeped in blood. Even magic was having a hard time returning the coat to its former glory.

It was terribly disappointing, but he didn't want Lucy to know that. She already felt bad about everything that was going on, he didn't want to add anything else to the list.

 _It's not like anyone can get inside without you noticing. Just go train for a little, you will feel much better. Lucy's just fine here._

Yet Freed couldn't make himself leave the house. He knew she was safe, and logically his magic reinforced the point, but he doubted she would believe it. She was timid, and for whatever reason she was absolutely terrified of this Midnight guy and whoever these _other_ people were. She'd let that little detail slip earlier, and he wouldn't soon forget it.

But he wasn't sure how to get her to say anything else. She was too timid.

"What are you doing?"

Freed paused trying to make things blow up. Glancing over his shoulder he found Lucy, standing uncertainly in the doorway. He hadn't noticed her coming to his doorway, and he hoped she hadn't just been standing there for too long.

Sheathing his sword, he cast her a smile. "Just doing a bit of magic. Are you feeling better?"

She hesitated a moment before nodding, rocking back and forth on her feet. Her eyes danced around the room from the coats he'd cast aside to the open window. "Am I keeping you inside?"

Surprised, he took a moment to respond. He didn't think she'd be so perceptive, but then he wasn't giving the girl enough credit. She was known to be brilliant. Without wasting a second he reached out and shut the window, latching it closed. "You're not keeping me inside, I'm choosing to stay in here with you."

"But… if I wasn't here you'd be outside training, right?"

"You could say that."

Lucy bit her lip, hands clamping down on the hem of her shirt. She looked away briefly, staring at the collection of jackets before speaking again. "You… you could go outside."

"I don't think that's a great idea," Freed said seriously, already dismissing the thought. "You spent an entire week alone. I'm not going to leave you by yourself now. It's not hurting me to stay inside."

"But you don't want to!" she argued quickly, eyes widening. "I can tell you are agitated. I'm sure going outside will make you feel better."

"Lucy, I won't leave you alone."

She frowned, looking out the window again. It really was a lovely day, and he didn't live in the center of town where a lot of people would be roaming. They shouldn't see anyone even if they went outside. She clasped her hands together, taking a shuddering breath before speaking again. "We could go outside… together."

Freed paused, staring at the girl like she had two heads. "You want to go outside."

"…yes."

"Where we might run into people."

"I… yes."

Unconvinced, Freed crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Someone may want to talk to you. Laxus wanted to talk to you and you panicked."

She swallowed, eyes dropping again. "Well I-I don't want to be scared of everyone forever, and if no one should be coming this direction then… then I think the outside air would be nice."

Sighing, he debated if she was being truthful or just trying to do something that would benefit him. He'd love to go outside and really stretch, but at the expense of her sanity he just couldn't do it.

"Lucy-"

"You want me to try and get better," she interrupted quickly, gripping her hands together tighter. "And everyone else wants me to try too. You don't have to tell me they are, I know Fairy Tail. At least let me try going outside with you. I'm sure… I'm sure Midnight wouldn't attack during the day unless he had to. It's not really his element."

Freed arched an eyebrow, wondering if the same thing went for the other people she failed to mention. Instead he pushed the question down, deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was gaining confidence because she now had things of her own to cover her body, or she simply wanted to push herself.

He could always drag her back inside if things suddenly went south.

"Alright, we'll go outside but I plan to train. I don't know what you plan on doing."

She smiled, just the ghost of a smile but enough for him to notice. "I don't have my keys or my whip… I don't think I'm ready to train yet. But I love to read outside."

Freed smiled, stepping towards the bedroom door. "Alright, outside it is."

* * *

Lucy felt okay sitting on Freed's porch reading. She wasn't getting a lot of reading done, constantly getting distracted by either her mindset or by Freed's impressive display of power.

She thought he wanted to come outside and go through a series of relaxed training exercises. She didn't expect that he'd be using such large amounts of power so close to his home.

"Dark Ecriture Wings," Freed said, casting the spell on himself to give flight. He shot up, and Lucy watched as he flew around the area, now destroying things as he was airborne.

She couldn't help but smile. Rarely did she get to see members of the guild in combat and have the luxury to sit back and watch their abilities leisurely. He was deft, agile, and much more violent than she assumed he'd be for an afternoon workout.

 _Everyone's more violent than they seem to be._

Lucy flinched, reaching up to grasp her head. She couldn't think like that. Not everyone was out to get her, and everyone certainly wasn't looking for a viable chance to kill her. She just had unreasonable odds when it came to finding herself in dangerous situations.

That might be a bit of an understatement.

Glancing down to her book, she tried to focus on that instead. She didn't want to get sucked back into her thoughts, not when she'd gotten up the courage to go outside with Freed. She'd been reveling in being safely tucked indoors since her visit to the guild, but if she ever planned to go find her keys and save her spirits then she had to get over this. He wouldn't just attack her out of the blue during the day unless he brought reinforcements, so she should be okay sitting outside.

At least, that's what she was convincing herself of.

Thinking back, she wasn't even sure there would be reinforcements anymore. There was a fallout the day Freed found her, some shouting she'd heard but hadn't seen. They weren't all on the greatest terms, so she really wouldn't be surprised if they all double-crossed one another.

"Lucy!"

She almost jumped out of her skin, throwing the book away from her as she jumped but shaking, holding up her arms. She wouldn't go back without a fight, and she'd be damned if she got taken down so easy. The door to Freed's house was close by, she could run that way –

"Lucy?"

Jerking her head around, she let out a breath. Freed had landed a few feet away, but he wasn't being defensive. Actually, he'd sheathed his sword.

Erza. Gray and Erza. They were approaching from the other side of the house, Erza's voice carrying in the wind. The pair slowed as they noticed the panic in her eyes, exchanging a glance. Lucy took a breath, feeling ashamed. There was no reason to be afraid of her friends.

The pair stopped not too far from her, watching the panic in her eyes carefully. Apparently her defensive stance was enough to make them pause, and she could practically feel the worry coming off of them.

It was the first time she'd gone outside, and she couldn't even handle it when her friends showed up. How pathetic.

"Hello Erza, Gray," Freed said, breaking the silence. She relaxed a little as she studied her friends, Freed coming up beside her to gently pat her arm. Dropping the stance she moved backward until her back hit the the chair she'd been sitting in, letting her legs collapse back into the seat.

Their eyes, it said it all. _Pity. Concern._ All the things she was trying to avoid were right there in front of her eyes, staring her in the face as her friends took her in.

Still, she couldn't disappoint them. They already looked so sad to see her in the fragile state, she had to make an effort to at least show them she was trying to help herself out.

So she went with the easiest thing to say, hating the way her voice squeaked. "Hi."

Erza smiled first, even if the action looked a little forced. "Hi Lucy, it's wonderful to see you outside."

She nodded, tightening her hands into fists. She felt tense, but there was no reason to be. They were probably just coming over to see Freed and ask how she was doing. She knew they'd come and spoken to him once before, so she assumed that was their plan again.

Looking around, she forced out the next question. "Where is Natsu?"

The pair exchanged a look, Gray reaching back to scratch his head. "Well, they've set up a search party at the guild to see if we can find who attacked you. Natsu took off to Crocus last night to partake. We already went that way once, but he said he sensed something and headed off again. Idiot almost forgot Happy."

Lucy felt a smile tugging at her lips. "That sounds like Natsu."

Her response got her teammates smiling, and she felt a little better. Maybe Natsu was being rash _(and doing exactly what she didn't want)_ but his intentions were in the right place. She could feel her anxiety building up, but tried to keep it at bay.

She didn't want her friends to think she was too weak. Showing the fear she felt inside would worry them, and she hated that. Natsu, despite her lingering fears, was pretty damn unbeatable. It would probably take Midnight _and_ reinforcements to take him down, power ritual be damned.

Internally, she cringed. She didn't want to be thinking about the awful things they wanted to use her spirits for...

"What made you come out?" Gray asked, glancing between the pair. Sometime between when Lucy replied and when she got distracted with her thoughts he'd somehow lost his shirt.

Freed didn't seem to notice her wayward thoughts, even if he was usually pretty perceptive with her. "I wanted to come outside to train, but I didn't want to leave Lucy all by herself. She decided getting some fresh air and reading might be nice."

"That's wonderful," Erza agreed, smiling. "I'm glad we got to see you. Everyone will be happy to hear you're doing a little better."

Lucy nodded, not missing Erza's word choice. Her friends could tell she was still off, too timid and hesitant to be considered herself. At least they weren't asking her how she was doing. That would open a whole other world of problems.

"We were actually hoping to talk to you," Gray continued, turning away. It took the blonde a moment to realize he was looking around for his missing shirt. "We wanted to talk to you… about Midnight."

She flinched, immediately feeling the air around them drop several degrees. Whatever inviting atmosphere they had amongst the four was evaporated almost instantly, replaced by tension.

Freed shifted beside her, and she was kind of interested to see what he would do. There was no reason to get defensive towards her friends, but he knew from trying himself that Lucy wasn't interested in talking about the other people involved just yet. Her friends hadn't spent a lot of time with her since her return, so they didn't know this little tidbit.

She'd really hoped it would just never come up.

"We know you don't want to talk about what happened," Erza said, sharing an uneasy look with the ice wizard. "But we all have history with Midnight. We just want to know who else we should be looking for or who we might be able to question."

Lucy didn't miss her choice of words, hands clamping down on the arms of the chair. Great, either Freed told them about his sneaking suspicions or they put two and two together and figured he wasn't working alone. She gulped, fearing their questions now.

"We've already ruled out Cobra," Gray added, looking away as he continued the search. "And Richard. But we can't pinpoint Racer or Angel right now, and Klodoa really didn't seem like much of a threat."

Lucy remained silent, tense, unwilling to argue or agree with anything.

Erza nodded into the silence, seeming to take the quiet as a sign. "We didn't know if we'd be able to speak to you in person or not. Last time we spoke to Freed and he ensured us he would relay the message we left. If you didn't want to talk to us today, we were just going to request Freed to ask you these questions instead."

"And you don't have to answer right now," Gray interjected. "We know acknowledging and discussing what happened is a big ordeal. Just… think about what we've asked. We are trying to track down Cobra to ask him some questions, maybe find out who Midnight likes to hang out with these days."

Lucy jerked her head in reply, her movements having gone stiff. From the corner of her eye she could see Freed watching her, as he always was the past three days since finding her.

"I'm sure Lucy will think over the names you listed, but it's been a rough day on her," he interjected, saving her from replying. Perspective as always, he knew her limits from experience interrogating her. She didn't ease up when Gray and Erza finally relented their questions, smiling at her and explaining again how happy they were to see her outdoors.

Then Erza moved to hug the blonde, and she nearly fainted from fright, actually falling off the chair to curl in on herself in fright.

Erza froze, looking down at the cuddled blob her friend had become. She was curled in on herself, like that would somehow save her from affection.

It was heartbreaking to watch.

At a loss for words, Erza dropped her hands and looked towards Freed, like he had some sort of explanation. The green haired man looked just as stunned before dropping down onto the porch beside her, reaching out to cautiously touch her shoulder before he spoke.

"Lucy… Lucy, come back to me."

He was distracted talking to the girl, trying to bring her back out of her haze. She was shaking, hands gripped tight over her temples as she faced the ground, quietly muttering to herself.

Freed, distressed, turned and glared up at the pair who'd pushed her too far. "Go!"

Thankfully, her friends didn't argue. He turned too quickly to see their reactions, focusing back on the girl, realizing she was now breathing heavily.

He'd actually thought things were going well. And they were until they pushed their boundaries and Lucy flipped out.

Quieting the irritation circling around in his head, he focused solely on the girl who'd so quickly dissolved into a mess. He tried to not come at her too quickly, but Erza's harmless action was a little too much for her to handle.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he realized he'd have to be more careful when she pushed to do more. She couldn't dissolve into a heap on the ground whenever she got too frightened of those around her.

"Lucy-"

"I-I couldn't do it!" she cried, surprising him. Half the time he'd found the battle to be getting her to talk after panicking. "I couldn't talk to my own friends. I... I couldn't even hug Erza."

Freed sighed, disheartened that she was so broken up over her own abilities. Erza and Gray didn't look hurt when they bolted, they had the same amount of understanding as everyone else in the guild about the boundaries that couldn't be crossed with Lucy right now. Even if they didn't like it, they wouldn't be upset at her for being terrified. He wanted to yell at Erza for taking that extra step, but how could he fault her when all she was trying to do was comfort her friend?

"They understand," he replied softly, stroking her shoulder. Anything to get the shakes to relent. He didn't want to carry her into the house. If she could pick herself up and do it, it would be a step in the right direction as far as her self-confidence went. It may have only been three days, but he didn't want her to be codependent on him.

No one should be. He couldn't support someone like that, even if he wanted to. Besides, Lucy was better than that. She could stand up on her own two feet and face any opponent anytime, she just needed to be reminded of her own abilities. Treating her like glass was an insult to her capabilities.

"But-but I-"

"Stop feeling bad," he interrupted, standing again. "Come on, get up with me. We'll go back inside. I've gotten more than enough training in for today."

Lucy hiccupped, finally lifting her head up off the ground. There was an imprint of the stone from Freed's deck on her cheek, and her eyes were already red from crying. Freed felt his heart tense, wondering how she would rise up from where she was right now if she continued feeling so awful when she couldn't handle something.

Three days. They were pushing a lot for her to get better. It wasn't enough time.

"Come on," he said gently, helping her stand. It wouldn't be the worst thing to help her, she wouldn't be codependent on him just yet. She didn't buckle and fall over again when she stood upright which was a good sign, but she also didn't pull away from him as they walked back into the house, her body hugged against his side like she was afraid to separate.

He looked around as they walked, trying to not alert Lucy that he was doing so. He wasn't bothered by her response, but he knew the barrier around his home didn't block them from outside viewers. They could still be seen outside the building's walls. If this Midnight guy – _or whoever all those other people were_ – was watching, he wasn't sure what they would gauge from this picture.

It didn't matter. He had no intention of letting her leave his house for a while. Not until she could handle it.

* * *

"Freed, open the door."

He tensed, wondering if telling his team to not so kindly _fuck off_ would work with him or against him. So far they'd left without much complaint, but they wouldn't be brushed off so easily every time. The Thunder Legion was known for their overwhelming attitudes.

Glancing at Lucy, he noticed she was still asleep on the couch. After this afternoon he didn't know if she would react very well to having people in the house, even if they were fellow guild members. At least his team was less likely to try and hug her.

"Yo, we want to see cosplayer too!"

"And if you don't hurry up and open the door Laxus is gonna blow it down," Evergreen yelled again, as though it would somehow convince Freed to open up.

Freed groaned. Laxus might not be able to breach the enchantment, but he would successfully weaken the barrier and destroy a lot of his hard work. He didn't want to go through the grueling steps of replacing it again. And he really didn't like the idea of dents in his door.

Besides, it's not like they would just go away.

"Laxus, don't blow my door off," Freed replied, opening the frame. Evergreen smirked, looking at her friend over the rim of her glasses.

"I told them that would work."

"I would've actually blown the door off," Laxus agreed, raising an eyebrow. "So how's bl- Lucy. How's Lucy?"

Freed smiled slightly, grateful his friend hadn't forgotten the incident he caused this morning. "She's asleep right now."

"Tough afternoon?" Ever asked knowingly, trying to see around Freed's shoulders. "Erza and Gray told everyone how well things went when they came by this afternoon."

"Titania almost blew the whole guild up wailing about it," Bickslow agreed, grinning. "I think she made a promise to _herself_ not to frighten her so much next time."

"That does sound like Erza," he replied, nodding.

Laxus huffed, glancing away from the trio. It was evening now, the sun nearly gone in the distance. "So can we come in or is she gonna wig out again?"

Freed tensed, glancing over his shoulder. He could see Lucy on the couch, still completely passed out. He hadn't noticed if she had any nightmares yet, but given the nature of the others he figured it would be pretty obvious.

"Well she looks decent," Bickslow continued, startling him. Whipping around he noted that Bickslow's babies had come into the home, and were circling around just above his head. They were moving slowly again, and Freed had no doubt her soul was in the same place it was yesterday. "On the outside anyway. She's still going through an internal hell."

" _Pain_ ," the babies hummed quietly, the lights within dimmer than usual, " _pain_."

He looked at Lucy again, debating. He wanted to talk with his friends about his suspicions, but he didn't want to scare her. He also had a sneaking suspicion that if she learned he kept turning them away for her sake she'd be upset. Before he could lose his resolve he swung the door fully open, keeping his eyes on the blonde.

"Kitchen, now. We have to be quiet. If she can actually sleep it's a good thing."

The trio abided for once, making their way to the kitchen without the usual ruckus. Ever and Bicks walked slower to the kitchen than he preferred, studying the girl as they passed. He knew they were looking for some sort of external sign that she was suffering, but unless Lucy was in the middle of a panic episode she looked physically fine. They wouldn't be able to see the changes unless she was awake and they got to talk to her.

Laxus however stopped just inside the doorway, staring at the girl he'd accidently terrified that morning. He tilted his head to the side as he watched her sleep, the stoic expression on his face breaking apart a little bit.

Freed shut the door, coming to stand beside his longtime friend. "Laxus?"

"Do you think she'll scream if she sees me here?"

Surprised, the three stilled and focused on their leader. There were few moments in life where Laxus ever seemed regretful of anything. Apparently scaring the life out of Lucy was one of them.

"If you don't call her blondie I don't think she'll mind you being here," Freed said, keeping his voice low so she couldn't possibly hear the term, even in sleep. "She was hesitant this morning, but she didn't get upset until that happened."

Laxus scoffed, turning to stock into the kitchen. The half wall would let Freed keep an eye on Lucy as they talked if he sat in the right chair, but they were far enough away hopefully she'd continue to sleep.

"I did a little research on who else this Midnight person is affiliated with," Evergreen said, pulling out a pad of paper the moment they sat down. Freed didn't even bother asking where she'd been hiding that. "Levy helped too. We've actually encountered some of them before. The neo-Oracion Seis?"

The name clicked in Freed's mind. He'd recalled the name before, but he'd never been able to place what Midnight looked like within the group. He didn't however have any problems remembering the fight he had with a certain mage. "Ah, yes. That's why the name Angel seemed so familiar."

"Yeah well we aren't doing a recap," Evergreen snapped, flipping through the pages. "She may not even be a problem. There's a chance she's no longer connected to Midnight – or Brain the second, or whatever you want to call this moron. Sounds like he's gone back to Midnight though, at least from what Lucy's said."

"Right."

"And Natsu _may or may not_ be in Crocus trying to find Cobra – or Erik, depending on who you ask. I guess he was released from the prison there and is walking around who the hell knows where. I think Natsu's just gonna go sniff around that house again until he can find something, but maybe he'll have enough _sense_ about him to look for Cobra too. He's the most reasonable member of the original Seis."

"Alright," Freed agreed. After talking with Natsu and seeing how somber he'd become in the wake of Lucy's torture, he had a bit more faith that the pinkette may be able to find this Cobra guy and get some information from him. "But how does any of this help us right now?"

Ever scowled, slamming the notebook shut. "Well, I was hoping maybe Lucy said something to you about all of these names! I know Erza and Gray tried the same thing. She's said nothing."

"It's hard to get her to talk to begin with," Freed argued. "I'm not going to push her, not right now."

"They also reached out to Yukino from Sabertooth," Bickslow intervened, looking between the pair. Freed realized he had removed his mask, but couldn't recall when that happened. "We want to ensure she wasn't attacked as well, and warn her if that's the case. Who knows, maybe she has an idea why a mage tried to steal her keys."

"Mages," Freed corrected, his eyebrows drawing together. "I know everyone is looking for these people to see if they know something about Midnight, but Lucy made it sound like more than one person wanted her keys. She kind of let it slip earlier."

"Doesn't everyone want those damn keys for something?" Laxus grumbled, glancing back towards the living room. "Did she mention why?"

Shrugging, Freed replied, "Something about getting their happy ending. I don't know what she was talking about."

Bickslow made a face, the expression mirrored by his babies as they titled to odd angles, looking confused as well. "Keys are going to make them happy?"

"I don't know, it's what Lucy said. When she heard these things when she was probably half delirious with pain. I wouldn't be surprised if she misheard, or missed something important. She was just trying to stay alive."

"Well, she did get that part right," Evergreen agreed, leaning on her hand. "I don't get it. There's no good angle. Why take keys? He also had a very pretty girl under his control. I feel like the options for what could've happened aren't as bad as they could be."

Freed tensed, thinking back to what Lucy told him. _It was his favorite endearment._ He didn't feel better about that even after training this morning, and he figured he probably wouldn't until this bastard – or these bastards, depending – were caught. Still, he tried to take Lucy's word for it. She said she wasn't assaulted, so he believed her, even if it was a little hard to comprehend. He was grateful, but he still had lingering doubts at times.

"That's one way to think about it," Laxus agreed, tilting his head. He narrowed his eyes, at the same time Bickslow's babies suddenly stood at attention and the man himself straightened up. "B – Lucy's breathing changed."

Freed's eyes flashed. _Nightmare_.

Standing from the table he made his way over to her, gesturing for his friends to remain put. If she woke up before she started crying or screaming it wouldn't worry the rest of his team so much, and it would save Lucy some embarrassment later. He'd rather keep her from reliving the awful experience in her dreams anyway.

Just like before, he crouched down beside her and gently shushed her. This time was a little different than the others though. Since Laxus and Bickslow picked up on her mood change early enough, it seemed like the beginning of a nightmare and not the end. If she came out of it early she might feel better.

He shook her gently, just in case he frightened her. Surprising enough her eyes snapped open almost immediately, her breath catching in her throat. He really thought it would be another battle to try and get her to wake again, but this time she didn't fight it.

It only seemed to take a moment for her to realize where she was, the tension in her shoulders slipping away. She still bolted upright, her breathing evening out as she looked around the room.

"Lucy," he said gently, watching her eyes zero in on the trio still sitting at his table. From her position she should really only be able to see Laxus, but of course his nosy friends had all jumped up and were crowded around the edge of the table to stare at her.

Subtle.

Immediately her eyes focused on him again, a question dancing behind her iris's. Instead of letting her mind ran ramrod he intervened, hoping she wouldn't freak out on him. He decided to ignore the fact that he just woke her from a nightmare. "They just came by to see us, they won't stay long. I'm sorry if we woke you."

She paused, remaining silent. He could tell she was debating with herself, either to trust him or panic he wasn't sure. Either way, if she managed to not freak out and he could get her back upstairs to the guest room she liked to lock herself into, he thought she'd be okay.

Instead of replying she stood, wobbling just a little. Freed fell back, sitting on the table as he watched. He wasn't really sure what he expected, but he hoped it didn't involve more crying.

Then she did something he wasn't prepared for. After rocking back and forth on her heels a few times she cleared her throat, glancing towards the curious group and looking away twice before she managed to say anything. "Hello."

Well, Freed couldn't argue with that. Talking was much better than panicking.

Laxus recovered first, probably because he saw her yesterday. In a very Laxus way, he tilted his head and asked a question, "So I take it you aren't afraid of me anymore?"

Lucy smiled, and Freed just about fell off the table. Maybe she felt comfortable because there was enough distance between herself and the others, but this was going a little better than her conversation with her own friends that morning. Maybe she just needed the practice.

"No… I'm not afraid of you. I'm sorry about before."

Laxus scowled, looking away again. "Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything."

She didn't reply, nodding silently instead as her eyes danced over the other two members of his team who waved in return. For once they had enough sense about them to not blurt out the first thing that came to mind. After a moment she looked back to Freed, her eyes silently pleading with him.

Well, at least he could read her now.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Freed said, nodding to his friends. Lucy took his hand instead of letting him lead her away, something she hadn't done before. Her fingers gripped him like a vise, the broken nails digging into the skin of his hand, but he didn't complain as he led her upstairs.

"You did good," he encouraged, shooting her a smile as they walked. "I wasn't sure how you would react with them here."

She wet her lips before replying. "They are your friends. I trust them… like I trust you."

Freed paused when they reached the second floor. She really didn't tell him a lot, so to have her say she actually trusted him – and not just him, but those he chose to associate with – was a surprise in itself. Smiling he led her the rest of the way to the room at the end of the hall, pushing the door open.

"I'm glad you trust me, and my friends. And you should trust yours as well."

She nodded, slipping past him into the room. "I do, it's just hard... right now."

"I know, but no one wants to hurt you, remember that. Everyone just wants to help you and see you get better."

"Yes," she replied quietly, staring the other way.

He hesitated, wondering if she would listen to anything else he said. "Just remember, you can tell me anything. When you're ready, the more we have to work with, the sooner we can stop these guys and get your keys back."

Lucy nodded, keeping her gaze away from him. Deciding he should leave her with her thoughts he turned to go, stopping when she caught his hand again.

Looking back she wasn't actually focused on him, her eyes trained out the window. For a moment he wasn't sure what she wanted, wondering if she just didn't want to be alone.

"Thanks Freed… for everything."

"I haven't done anything different today," he reminded, frowning.

"Oh um… I know. But thank you anyway, for not pushing me."

He smiled, squeezing her hand tightly. "You'll tell me in your own time. Get some rest Lucy."

She nodded again, dropping his hand almost immediately, taking a step back to clasp her hands together. He could feel her peeking out the door as he walked away, eyes following him down the hallway.

He knew she'd tell him, he just wished it'd happen a little bit faster.

 **A/n: Yup, I suck with my updates, I know. Hopefully this one was okay and I'm going to try to be back sooner this next time… two months is a little excessive. Let me know what you thought!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter edited 8/26/18.**

 _They weren't making sense again._

" _To reach our heaven we must first experience hell," Midnight said, his eyes skating around the room. Lucy recognized the room, the one they kept her in. But something seemed wrong as she looked at the space._

 _She wasn't being held down to the floor by that nightmarish rune magic. Instead she was standing in the corner, staring at herself across the room. The Lucy lying on the floor had her face turned into the ground, her shoulders shaking from the pain as blood dripped down her back, little drops splashing into the concrete beneath._

 _Across the room, Lucy looked around. It was like having an out of body experience, seeing what she went through. It gave her a different perception, but she wasn't sure she wanted it. She wasn't even sure why she was there now. Still, for once she didn't feel any panic._

" _We already went through hell," Racer interjected, cutting off whatever Midnight was going to say. "We just need to break the contracts between this girl and the celestials. Once we do that we can use the keys to embody the evil the Tower of Heaven created."_

 _Lucy blinked, staring at the people before her. Even now that sounded like such bullshit. Who believed that?_

" _And then we'll be free," Angel agreed, the trio nodding._

 _Lucy blinked. She somewhat remembered these conversations from her time in the basement, but she'd never been able to lift her head up and look at her captors. The pain and weakness her body felt overpowered the ability to do simple things. Looking back, she couldn't even recall if they were all standing in the room during this conversation or not. It could've been something she overheard while they screamed upstairs._

" _It will cleanse of us our sins," Midnight agreed. "Once we can use the celestial spirits to anchor the sins of our souls, the spirits themselves will take on the pain. We will get our happy ending."_

 _Again, she couldn't believe the nonsense she was hearing._

" _But how are we going to keep her like this?" Angel continued. "Rusty said he can only keep using his Arc of Enbodiment magic to keep her here so much longer. If we don't get him what he wants soon he'll let the spell lapse, and all her spirits will be able to come out and fight us."_

" _Then we need to make another deal!" Racer cried, jumping up and down. Lucy wasn't even sure that ever happened. "I won't let this go! If you really think this is the answer to all of our problems, how could you be prepared to let it go? Rusty doesn't hold all the cards here."_

" _He holds enough," Midnight said. He leaned forward, grabbing Lucy's blonde hair to lift her head up. She remembered that part, the pain substaintial considering he'd ripped some of her long locks out just before this conversation happened. "Don't give up on us yet, blondie. If you die the contracts will be broken and your spirits will be released. We won't be able to trade with their souls, and we can't have that."_

" _She won't go yet," Racer agreed. "It's not yet time to die, Heartfilia."_

Lucy gasped, jerking up in her bed. She was soaked in sweat, the sheets and pillow damp as her eyes darted around, looking for the source of her fears. Trembling hands reached out and grabbed the damp fabric, gripping until she could feel her nails digging into her skin even through the barrier.

A dream, just another dream. She was in Freed's house, behind barriers even Rustyrose couldn't duplicate. They would have to fight to get in.

That didn't make her feel better. She might not be in any immediate danger now, but her spirits were. All they wanted was to sever Lucy's contracts with her spirits, but not kill her until this was done.

It didn't make any sense. None of it did. She wasn't even sure she'd heard things correctly anymore.

Reaching up a trembling hand she tried pushing her hair out of her face, but her fingers just wouldn't work. After her fourth try she gave up, dropping her fingers back to the blanket.

She'd been crying, but she guessed not loud enough to wake Freed. For three - no, it had to be the fourth now - days he'd been very close by her side, and she assumed if he heard her having another nightmare he'd wake her up. Glancing at her door she realized it was cracked, so she had to be decently quiet. He'd probably done it as a precaution, just like every other night here.

Clenching her eyes shut, she tried to steady her erratic breathing. Usually when she did manage sleep, the only thing that came were nightmares. She hadn't had a dream recently that reflected upon her experience. She hadn't even thought of the others involved until tonight.

Angel.

Racer.

Midnight.

 _Rustyrose._

Names that scared the ever living hell out of her. Even if Angel hadn't wanted to dirty herself by torturing her, she still played a part. Thinking of the names her friends named off just caused her heart to ache.

Poor Freed, he practically begged her to give him something to work with, and she just couldn't vocalize what was going on in her head. It caused anxiety whenever she thought about it, and dissolving into tears was something she'd done one too many times. She didn't want to again.

But she couldn't just ignore it. The longer she let her fears overcome her logic the more danger her spirits were in. It was selfish to not say something, and even worse to let her fear overtake her when she could be doing something about what happened. But Midnight and the others literally abandoned her in the basement that fateful day, left for dead, and she couldn't erase the terrifying thoughts that continued to circle in her brain.

She needed to do something. She needed to get back at them for what they'd done.

Looking towards the door again, she wished she knew what time it was. Bothering Freed every night would get old real quick, and it definitely wouldn't make him thrilled to have her as a houseguest. But with her dream burning in her mind, she wanted to tell him more while her emotions were high and the memory vivid. If she waited she'd lose her nerve and disappoint him again.

Maybe he wouldn't mind.

Her knees almost buckled when she stood up, fear crawling up her back. The idea of talking about what happened made things that much more real, and she wasn't sure she wanted that. But if she didn't do it now, she wasn't sure when she'd work up the courage to do so again, and everyone would keep looking for the wrong things and the wrong people.

She found Freed's door half open, much more inviting than she expected. Honestly she wasn't sure why he kept putting up with her when it was so much extra work.

He looked so peaceful when he slept, his long green hair fanned out rather pretty across the pillows. In the shadows she could just make out his silhouette on the bed, blissfully ignorant to her tortured thoughts.

It seemed almost inconsiderate to wake him up. Clenching her hands together she swallowed her fear, forcing herself into the room. She had to do this.

She really wasn't as quiet as she thought, literally walking into his bedframe as she debated how to talk to him. The man was up in an instant, and she shied away when she realized his eyes were glowing with magic.

Freed relaxed almost instantly when he noticed her, the angry energy in his eyes disappearing. She noticed he'd decided to start wearing shirts to bed, perhaps remembering her reaction the last time. "Lucy, what are you doing in here? Everything alright?"

She nodded, noticing the way his brow furrowed. "I-I need to talk to you."

He frowned. "Are you okay?"

She almost nodded to ease his mind, until she realized it wouldn't solve anything and shook her head. Before he could ask what was up she spilled her guts, relaying everything about the dream filled memory that she could in one exhausting breath.

When she finished Freed seemed troubled, shifting in bed to sit on the edge, turning on his bedside light. She had yet to move from the foot-board, her hands gripping the top like her life depended on it.

In the light she could see his expression more clearly. His features remained neutral, an air of calm resting there that didn't reach his eyes. In fact if she looked into them she thought she might die from the levels of hatred boiling there.

"You saw all of those people in the house?"

She hesitated before nodding, watching the way his brows furrowed together. Outside she could see the sky beginning to brighten, and soon the sun would rise.

That meant four days passed since he'd found her. It felt like more time should've passed.

"Thank you for telling me," he continued, standing from the bed. He gestured to the mattress, waiting until she sat stiffly at the end before continuing. "The guild will be happy to know who they need to search for. But I thought you said something about the Seis being disbanded-"

"They are – were, I'm not sure. Only those three members remain. I-I told you about Cobra already… they are the only three members I saw."

Freed's expression darkened. "And Rustyrose, he's not part of their team. He's one of the people from the Seven Kin of Purgatory. What's he doing with half of an old team?"

She shook her head, unable to answer. She didn't know a lot about what was going on, most of the team's discussions taking places in rooms she wasn't in. She didn't understand why they would be teaming up together, much less how they met Rustyrose.

Lucy knew Freed was more familiar with the Arc of Embodiment wizard, having actually fought him on Tenrou. This was someone he could relate to much better than the Seis, who he only encountered briefly.

It didn't actually make her feel better. She didn't know how he or anyone else would take the news, and what kind of conclusions they would come to.

"I just don't understand the keys," he continued, muttering quietly. She wasn't certain if he was speaking to her or himself. "The logic makes no sense, and I've never heard of using celestial spirits for this type of ritual. And there are a lot of insane ideas for celestials. But this…"

His voice trailed off, lost in his own train of thought. Lucy turned her eyes down, fingers twisting in her lap. The dream brought back bad memories, but at least it wasn't another trip down memory lane of being tortured. She couldn't take reliving that every night.

"Maybe Cobra will know something…"

She zoned out, feeling her eyes growing heavy. Restless sleep gave her body little relief when she passed out, and sitting on Freed's bed now she was overcome by how comfortable it was. Her eyes drifted shut before snapping them open again, unwilling to sleep.

It sure was comfortable though, and she did feel better when he was nearby.

Lucy let her eyes fall closed again, her head sinking down, her chin resting on her chest. A few moments wouldn't hurt…

* * *

Freed left Lucy in his room when she passed out, deciding her need for sleep was more important right now than trying to interrogate her. She would wake up eventually and hopefully she'd still be in the mood to talk.

Besides, he was still waiting to see if anyone could locate Cobra. Supposedly Kinana knew him at one point or another, but they were still waiting to see if she could convince him to come and talk. From what he'd learned of the dragon slayer, he wasn't the easiest guy to work with, and he had an awful lot of attitude.

Freed paused at his kitchen table, thinking that over. Come to think of it, he sounded a lot like Laxus and Natsu. It would be great if they could talk to him. Out of everyone he seemed the most likely to be able to understand what was going on.

To the same extent, if Rustyrose was involved, maybe Meredy would be beneficial too. The problem with getting ahold of her was Crime Sociere was always on the move, and they were a pain to track down according to Erza's ramblings.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. There were a lot more people involved than first anticipated, and it would be a pain to contact all of them to get to the bottom of things. Not to mention there was no way of knowing when the last time was that they spoke to one another.

It was all really infuriating. How were they supposed to get her keys back when they didn't know where to look next, and all the useful people weren't even around?

He pursed his lips. They should just send someone to go talk to Crime Sorciere. Probably Erza, since she had the best connection to the guild. Meredy would probably be extra helpful if she went, and Lucy's friends would feel useful given a task.

He just wished he felt useful. He helped her, but only when she would accept it. It was a lot of sitting around waiting for other people to figure out what to do next. He couldn't go off looking for people when she needed him here, but it was frustrating. He wanted to take out some of his anger, and any member of the team that hurt her would do. But he couldn't do that until they actually found them, and Lucy was okay being without him.

At this rate, he was pretty sure it would take a while either way.

With a sigh he decided he'd need to let the guild know about what Lucy told him so someone could go looking. Just last night he spoke with his team about how certain members of the Seis may not be involved, including Angel. They were pretty far off.

What else were they wrong about?

A knock at the door ruined his train of thought, and Freed wondered if he should kick out the barrier a couple feet so people would stop knocking all the time. Glancing up the stairs he noted that Lucy still seemed to be asleep, which was better than nothing.

She was strange with how she reacted. Her friends frightened her but she was okay around his. He wondered if it was because his were more withdrawn and had less emotional attachment, or maybe just because his tended to be less physically friendly.

Walking to the door, he sighed when he spotted who was outside. Yet another friend wanting to check in. He'd really have to get used to this.

"Natsu," Freed said, nodding when he opened the door. Apparently the slayer wasted no time racing between cities. He didn't appear to have Happy in tow, and he was only panting a little, sweat dripping down his cheeks in the early morning light. He must've pushed himself pretty hard to make it to Crocus and back so quickly.

At this rate he was going to kill himself.

Natsu panted, resting one hand on the doorframe. "How's… Lucy?"

Freed couldn't help but smile. He might be a moron sometimes, but his concern for his friend was sincere. He was pushing himself a lot to try and help her. "She's getting along. She just fell asleep again a little while ago."

He nodded, taking another heavy breath. "Oh… good. She loves sleeping."

Resisting the urge to tell him how incorrect he was Freed cleared his throat, adverting his gaze. "What are you going here? Did you just get back into town? You look like you've run yourself ragged."

Natsu lifted his head, smiling. "I have to. Whoever hurt Lucy deserves to suffer too."

Freed nodded, totally in agreement with the slayer. Natsu might be rash, but since he'd found Lucy the pinkette did nothing but try to help find her attackers. He may not go about things as reasonably as he should, but his heart was in the right place.

Who could fault him for that?

"Come in and get some water," Freed said, stepping back from the door, "before you pass out on my porch."

"Hey, I'm not that exhausted," he argued, shaking his head as he walked in. Almost immediately Freed could see his ears perk up, nose twitching. "Lucy… she still doesn't smell quite like herself. But, she smells better than before. I at least recognize her now."

"She hasn't had a shower yet," Freed snapped, his voice a little angrier than he intended. He grabbed a glass, forcing himself to not slam it on the counter. "I can't just force her to shower. I'm sure her scent will be more obvious after that."

Natsu nodded, and Freed was thankful Laxus didn't drone on about Lucy's scent when he visited. He didn't really like the constant reminder of it. Of _course_ she'd smell different, and if that wasn't bad enough telling a girl she smelled weird was a recipe for disaster. "Sounds like she's sleeping peacefully."

 _Well, that's different._

"Did you find what you wanted in Crocus?" Freed asked, handing him the glass. Natsu, distracted, nearly dropped it as he refocused his attention.

"Uh, no, not really," he replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I couldn't pick up anything new at the house you found Lucy in." His grip tightened on the glass, expression darkening. "All the other scents were overwhelmed by her blood."

Freed frowned, wondering why Natsu did this to himself in the first place. Hadn't his summary of the home built enough of an image for him? Freed found the scene haunting and the blood overwhelming, but he didn't have a dragon slayer nose to deal with. Natsu already went back once with his team to Crocus, continuing to force himself to return to the scene would just damage his psyche.

"Lucy may have told me something that will help," he continued, smiling when Natsu's ears perked. No matter how crazy the man could be, he would do anything to help Lucy and he would be able to relay Freed's information to the guild without the rune mage worrying about when he would see someone again.

He just hoped the dope didn't run off with the information to handle everything himself. That would backfire spectacularly.

"Tell me," Natsu said, his tone deadly serious. If there was one thing Natsu didn't mess around with it was his friends.

Freed relayed what Lucy told him, watching Natsu's expression darken the more people he named off. When he finished Natsu stood, shattering the glass in his palm.

"Did you have to break it?" Freed sighed, stepping in the way when the pinkette tried to bolt. "Remember what I said, running off won't help. We don't even know where these people are right now."

"It doesn't matter," Natsu seethed, and Freed raised an eyebrow when his hands lit themselves on fire. "I'll kill them all for Lucy."

"That's not the point-"

"I-"

Natsu stopped, his head immediately whipping upwards. Freed watched his eyes dance around the ceiling following a distinct line. He didn't need to be told what Natsu was listening to, he was already aware.

Lucy was awake.

Immediately the flames in his hand winked out, his face sinking into a mixture of fear and uncertainty. He hadn't seen his partner since the day she went to the guild, sobbing and terrified of all her friends. If Lucy was up and potentially coming downstairs to see what the noise was, there was no way to predict how it would go.

But Freed couldn't stop it. They were best friends. They needed to see each other at one point or another.

Natsu turned slowly at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, his eyes wide with fear. Freed stood just behind him, tilting his head when Lucy emerged at the bottom to stare at her longtime friend. He hoped things went well.

Natsu spoke first, his voice coming out barely audible. "Lucy."

She didn't smile at him, instead staring at him with wide eyes for many moments. Now that she'd gotten a bit of sleep over the past hour or two she looked slightly better, not so weighed down by the bags under her eyes. She still hadn't had a shower since the first day, her scent musky but not unfamiliar. Just different. Even Freed could sense that without Natsu's enhanced nose.

Freed titled his chin up, meeting Lucy's eyes across the room. So far confrontations between her friends hadn't gone well. If she gave any indication that she couldn't handle having Natsu there he'd be forced to remove the slayer, surely at the cost of his entire house. Natsu would not go easy.

Lucy wet her lips three times before speaking, one hand still gripping the banister. "Natsu."

He moved like he wanted to hug her but stopped short, and Freed wondered briefly if he'd learned not to from Erza. No, he doubted the slayer made it back to the Guild Hall yet. Most likely he'd come here first, hoping beyond hope that he'd get to see his partner. More likely, he could smell her fear.

Lucy hesitated, taking one step back when Natsu moved closer. He didn't try again, something that surprised Freed. Her lips trembled when she spoke once more, her other hand coming to clench on the fabric of her shirt.

"Where… where were you?"

Almost instantly, Freed watched the fight leave her partner. Usually Natsu had something to say about everything but he was strangely quiet towards Lucy, the guilt eating him alive over what happened. The pinkette fell down onto his knees before her, and Freed briefly wondered if something was wrong with him.

"Luce… I'm so sorry."

The pair shared a moment, Lucy moving to kneel before him as well, sitting just out of reach. Freed could sympathize with Natsu, remembering that every other time Lucy was tortured he came to her rescue. This lasted longer and cut deeper, and he was nowhere around when she needed him the most.

He wondered if it would fracture their friendship now that Natsu knew who had attacked her, and more importantly knew that these were people he'd defeated in the past. The weight of the guilt must be crushing.

"It's okay," Lucy said quietly, her voice echoing in the quiet room as Natsu began to sob, something the rune mage rarely saw. She didn't offer him any lies but she did surprise Freed, reaching across the space to gently grab his hand. Natsu reacted, clenching down on hers as he continued crying.

Throughout his breakdown, Lucy never tried to pull away. Despite her reaction to Gray and Erza she didn't seem afraid of Natsu, letting him hold her hand as he fought through the guilt. Perhaps it helped that he didn't try to hug her, able to pick up on her emotions even better than his friends.

She shot Freed a look as he cried, something he didn't expect. Her eyes weren't asking for help, but there was an understanding there that he hadn't seen in days. She had depended on Natsu a lot for all the adventures that led up to this one, and it was the first time he'd truly let her down.

Freed didn't have to ask her what the look meant. He could read it in her eyes. She could forgive Natsu, but the same level of trust wasn't there anymore. She was afraid of so many people, and it took a lot for her to trust anymore. She forgave him, but she wasn't looking at him for help or comfort.

She was looking at Freed, and he felt the added weight rest on his shoulders. Like it or not she depended greatly on him now, and he felt it was a connection that would not soon be severed.

It added additional pressure to finding her attackers and stopping them. He knew she wouldn't rest easy until that day came, no matter how many protections were in place around her and his entire house.

And he knew, despite her condition now, Lucy would want to fight in the end. It was in her nature to keep going. Freed just wasn't sure how long it would take for her to reach that point.

He sincerely hoped there was no need to face off with them again for a while.

When Natsu's cries quieted he bowed his head, releasing the tight grip on Lucy's hand. She snapped her wrist back almost out of instinct before realizing what she'd done, her expression softening as she rested her hand in the space between them.

"I'll make it up to you," Natsu said, his voice gaining volume as he spoke. "I swear it Luce. I won't rest until they pay for what they've done."

She tilted her head at that, Freed realizing she had no idea Natsu knew others had attacked her besides Midnight. Before she admitted to him who else was present throughout that week, everything was speculation. "You don't-"

"Please Luce," he interrupted, his voice practically begging, "let me do this for you. Let me help, somehow. As soon as there's a lead, I'll go stop them all if I have to. Anything to get you to be your old self again."

Lucy nodded stiffly, and Freed wasn't sure if she took Natsu's words well or not. The pinkette stood, offering Lucy a hand to stand. She took it after a moment's hesitation, putting space between them again.

Natsu sighed, the pain evident in his voice. "I'll make it up to you Lucy, I will."

She didn't say anything else, letting his words hang in the air. Natsu seemed to take that as a sign to leave, nodding towards Freed as he turned to go. The man noted his opposite hand bleeding, clenched tight so Lucy wouldn't notice. He must've cut it when the glass broke.

When the front door banged shut Lucy relaxed, some of the tension in her shoulders disappearing. She glanced around the room before her eyes rested on Freed, holding his gaze briefly before dropping.

"Was he bleeding?"

Freed smiled, finding it endearing that she was so worried about her friend given the condition she was in. Moving towards her he grabbed the glass intended for himself, hoping she didn't notice the shards on the floor.

"Just a little," he replied, handing her the drink. "Don't worry though, it's nothing serious."

She nodded, rocking on her feet a moment before speaking again. "What did he mean… when he said they?"

Freed flinched slightly, realizing she'd noticed Natsu's wording. He'd have to tell her he already relayed the information to the slayer, and hope she didn't freak out that he'd run off to handle everything himself.

He was beginning to worry that might be the case. Hopefully the slightly rational side of Natsu that had begun to show itself would win out and he'd take the information to the guild instead of trying to take on everything himself.

He hoped so anyway.

"We should sit," Freed said, nodding to the living room. "I guess I better explain myself."

 **A/n: Hope you like it! What's this, a new chapter in a week? Yes, I did find some time to do real updates! The next one probably won't be out as quick, but I've gotten a solid outline done to the plot should flow a little smoother now. Let me know what you think! Also, the lingering questions about the motives of Midnight and the others are appreciated! It's not all explained yet, but I'm not so sure I did a good job in this chapter explaining anything. Until next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

Days five and six passed just as every day before them did. Lucy felt like the days dragged on for hours longer than they should, stretching the expense of her pain longer through more grueling hours than she could handle. By the seventh day, one week following her rescue from that hellhole, she was certain she'd never recover.

She still had nightmares at night, screams that rocked her body to the core and usually sent Freed running in. She'd only been able to get through one night without screaming, and since then every night brought the same ritual. Sometimes she found comfort when Freed sat beside her to calm her down, and sometimes she panicked and crawled off the bed, just as afraid of him as everyone else who beat her bloody.

Despite her awful reactions, she never saw regret or hurt in his eyes. If anything, Freed was too understanding. He sympathized with her in ways she couldn't comprehend. Nothing in his life should've prepared him to handle a situation like this, yet Lucy constantly found herself surprised with the finesse he used whenever he handled one of her breakdowns.

Really, he was almost too good to be true.

A week after her rescue, Lucy found herself unable to hold a glass of water. She'd woken so shaken from a nightmare Freed had gone to get her a drink, and even now she couldn't hold the damned thing well enough to have a sip. She kept gripping the glass tighter, tighter, desperately looking for something to hold onto –

Lucy gasped when the glass shattered in her grip, little pieces digging into the tender skin of her hand. Freed jumped away from the window where he'd been leaning, immediately on the edge as he spun around and looked at her and the broken glass.

She shook out her hand out, the little slices of pain barely registering in her mind. Really she didn't feel the pain so much as surprise, watching the little lines of blood appear on her skin.

Huh. She hadn't seen herself bleed in a week now. The little red lines seemed oddly familiar, if not welcoming. At least this was something she was accustomed to.

" _Lucy?"_

She blinked, turning her hand to stare at the blood. The lines were familiar enough to hold her attention, bring back a sense of normalcy that she'd grown used to during her captivity with the Seis. She'd hated every moment there, but her blood staining her skin and the ground was commonplace. Since being rescued, Freed tried to keep her from hurting herself.

" _It's amazing how much you can bleed, blondie. I thought you were dead for sure earlier. Rusty had too much fun. I told him he has to be careful to not kill you."_

A hand came down on her shoulder, throwing her out of the daydream with a start. "Lucy?"

Blinking, she realized Freed was studying her curiously, his hand gentle but firm on her shoulder. Usually she flinched when anyone touched her, but she'd gotten comfortable enough with Freed's presence to not be afraid when he touched her skin anymore. Focusing on her hand once more, she followed the thin, already drying lines of blood. Yeah, she really could bleed a lot.

"Lucy," he said more firmly, finally drawing her attention from her bleeding hand. "Come back to me."

She dropped her hand, studying him curiously. He looked the same as he always did at night, tired and distressed when he woke to her cries. He'd been comforting her and she completely zoned out, far enough to break the glass in her hand and get lost in the beauty of the blood.

 _Beauty._

Lucy jerked back, her eyes widening at the memory. No, she shouldn't find the blood beautiful, in any way, shape or form. She must be delirious if that thought could ever cross her mind.

Freed remained quiet, watching the conflict in her eyes. She cleared her throat when she noticed the intensity of his gaze, realizing she was probably leaving him hanging as her mind slowly became unhinged with her ever-growing memories of the experience.

She'd have to work on that. He'd probably start thinking she'd gone mental if she kept zoning out and panicking all the time. It was a week passed for crying out loud. Shouldn't she be better, or at least adjusting?

"Is it early?" she asked instead, breaking the awkward silence setting in. Freed was beginning to give her a weird look, and she figured he'd start assuming the worst if she kept staring at him with a blank expression. The least she could do was talk to him. After all, he talked to her all the time when she was crying.

"Early enough," Freed agreed, getting up off the bed. He collected the broken glass before extending a hand, gently pulling her bleeding fingers from the covers. "Come on, we'll make some coffee and we'll get you cleaned up."

She blushed, turning her head away. How could she let herself stain the damn covers? "Freed-"

"Uh-uh," he said, grasping her arm gently to pull her out of bed, "Don't give me any excuses. Yesterday we could've been downstairs an hour earlier if you didn't argue. The cuts are superficial, they just need to be cleaned up. You don't look like you'll sleep anymore anyway."

She smiled gently, constantly surprised by the thoughtfulness of the rune wizard. "I guess not."

"I guess correct," he agreed, leading her from the room. "Now come on, it's time you finally brewed coffee for me."

* * *

Lucy found comfort in Freed's home, from his ability to screen when she had to see people to his kind regards to her feelings. He went out of his way more than he needed to in order to make her comfortable.

He even agreed to let Cobra come to his home on the eighth day instead of going to the guild hall, something that floored pretty much everyone… everywhere. Lucy could barely believe it herself.

It wasn't like he had much of an impression of the poison dragon slayer, but he knew enough to know that he was connected to the people that tortured her. That probably should've sent up some red flags, but he didn't seem fazed.

Then again, until this experience she hadn't seen much that fazed Freed. It usually took a lot to set him off (unless someone was insulting Laxus) and even more to get under his skin. Most of the time he was so composed it was unbelievable.

Rocking uncertainly on her feet, Lucy counted the seconds as she watched the clock, wondering when Cobra would show. She hadn't heard much about him since the Neo-Oracion Seis disbanded, and she hadn't realized he'd hovered on the side of good for the longest time now.

He wasn't one of her attackers, so there was no reason to be scared. Lucy knew better than anyone that time changed people.

Cobra wasn't the monster his friends had become, at least she hoped. She seriously couldn't handle something else tragic happening right now.

"Do you always fidget around like that?" Evergreen asked, sending Lucy's train of thought crashing down. "I've never seen someone twitch so much."

"Leave her alone Ever," Laxus replied, eyes still closed on the sofa. Lucy almost forgot Freed's team was even there, lingering in the living room while she stared out the kitchen window. They weren't exactly supposed to be there for the confrontation, but these things happen.

At least, that's what she ended up telling Freed.

" _I'm going to configure the wards to start forcing people back when they knock on the door," Freed grumbled, staring at his friends through the front window. They were eating breakfast, or what could almost be considered breakfast. So far Lucy picked at something resembling an old muffin, and the pair drank black coffee when he ran out of creamer. "Why does everyone want to come over?"_

" _They don't have to go," she said quietly, staring at the loud team outside. "I doubt they know. Erza sent out the message this morning that Cobra's coming over; it's not like they would interrupt something like this on purpose."_

 _Freed looked unconvinced, staring at the blonde girl sitting at his table. She thought he might actually start arguing with her. "You're sure? I have no problem turning them away, Lucy. I know you don't always want visitors."_

 _She gulped, meeting his gaze briefly before looking away. "Well, maybe the extra friendly faces will help when we meet Cobra. He wasn't always the nicest guy."_

" _Gray seemed to think he wasn't so bad," Freed remarked, reminding her of Gray's offhand comment that Cobra wasn't "_ such an ass _" anymore when her team stopped by yesterday to discuss Cobra. She still wouldn't call that a compliment._

" _You're sure you're okay with it?" he asked again when the silence lingered. Lucy nodded, smiling slightly._

" _It's not like they could make it any worse."_

She wanted to eat those words now. The Thunder Legion wasn't as awful as she'd always believed, but they were quite a colorful group. In the last week she'd gotten familiar with their presence in Freed's home, though they'd only come by three times. At least they weren't pushy.

"So Natsu said Cobra can read thoughts?" Bickslow asked, tilting the mask up on his face. He fixed Lucy with a look, begging for an answer.

"Uh… sort of. Maybe you should ask him."

He gave her a half smile, "So if I can read souls and he reads minds-"

"Bicks," Laxus interrupted, "don't even."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"We can guess," Evergreen agreed, jumping into some sort of rant about what happened the last time. Lucy zoned them out, staring out the window again.

She wanted to see when Cobra arrived. Maybe if she saw him coming she wouldn't feel frightened when he got there. Talking to him was a milestone, and maybe he could shed some light on his friend's bizarre ideas.

Or maybe he didn't know anything about them anymore, and this was all a huge waste of time.

"Staring out the window won't make him show up any faster," Freed said, severing her train of thought. She glanced over at the kitchen table, noting that he was still in the middle of reading as they spoke. "You're just making yourself nervous."

"I am nervous," she countered, glaring at him. They'd already debated this earlier in the morning before his friends barged in. "I'm nervous about what he's going to say."

"And I told you that's natural."

"But I'm not going to relax until this is over," she continued, turning back to the window again. "Kinana is bringing Cobra here, and she was very specific that he hates crowds. I… I don't remember him being very easy to work with."

"In my experience dragon slayers usually aren't."

Lucy huffed. "You know what I mean."

Before Freed had a chance to respond her eyes perked up, catching sight of two figures wandering down the road towards the house. There was definitely no mistaking them.

Cobra had a distinct look. Lucy would recognize him anywhere. Picking up on her sudden change in mood Freed stood as well, peering over her shoulder at the pair.

"What's with his eye?" Freed asked, and if things weren't so serious Lucy might've laughed at how absurd the question sounded right now.

"I don't remember, but I think it's a touchy subject. We probably shouldn't ask."

Freed muttered something about _dragon slayer feelings_ as he turned away, shooing his friends into another room. They might be okay staying here while Cobra talked to them, but having such a crowded room was awkward.

Lucy knew he'd be able to sense the other's, but it didn't matter. He was here to talk to the two of them only; they wouldn't force him to talk to an audience.

She just hoped he reasonably agreed with that.

"Lucy, quit being so tense!"

She scowled as the pair approached the door, glancing towards the backroom. Laxus picked up on her nerves just like Natsu could, and she really didn't need his input while trying to calm her nerves. Freed shot her a look as he wandered to the door, and she gave him a smile in return.

Screw Laxus, she was nervous, not tense. Something about Cobra made her anxious but not fearful. Maybe because he hadn't tried to kill her.

Well, not recently anyway. And besides, she'd heard he was a changed man now. She just wasn't sure if he was changed enough to sell out old friends.

"Freed!" Kinana called, knocking on the door. He was a half step behind her, reaching the door a moment later to throw it open. Even in Cobra decided to turn on them, there were more than enough people in the house to kick his ass for even trying.

Lucy couldn't help herself, she let out the teaniest smile. Maybe _that's_ why she wasn't so tense. Right now even if Cobra suddenly went off the handle there was no way things could repeat themselves with so many capable wizards in the house.

Glancing down, she noted she wasn't even clenching her hands. She hadn't felt this relaxed in over a week. Her shoulders still held tension, and she'd already looked over the best routes to escape from her designated seat if she needed too, but she didn't feel like she'd actually need to run.

From what she'd heard, Cobra hated everyone, friend and foe alike.

"Lucy?" Kinana said, surprising the blonde. Turning her head, she realized the duo had walked inside at some point, and all three individuals in the room were looking at her curiously.

She must've zoned out again. She had a nasty habit of doing that these days.

"She's just daydreaming," Cobra grumbled, rolling his one good eye. "She's just thinking through everything she can possibly do right now."

Beside him Freed's eyebrows shot up, and even Lucy was surprised by the accuracy. She hadn't fought Cobra firsthand before, and hadn't had to deal with his dead on predictive nature. The ability to read her mind was a little helpful, especially if she was unable to voice a question aloud, but she wasn't so sure she wanted him to be able to read her thoughts.

 _She_ didn't even like to read them, and the reality that the man before her could easily pick apart the secrets she'd worked so hard to hide had her panicking. Some things she wasn't ready to share with anyone, and the idea that he could just listen in –

"Hell, you've got to stop thinking to damn loud," he grumbled, reaching up to rub his head. "And fast. How do you even process what you're thinking about? Look, if you give me a headache how the hell am I supposed to tell you what I know about the Seis?"

Lucy paused, watching the same intense look reflect in Freed's eyes. He might be able to read her body language, but Cobra could literally _read_ her, and it was a little too much to handle.

"I'm pretty sure you're ignoring what I just said," Cobra continued, inviting himself into the living room. He sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Stop panicking, nothing's even happening."

She watched Kinana give her a sad smile before moving to sit beside Cobra, patting his hand before she made herself comfortable. Freed remained by the door, arching an eyebrow as he watched her inner conflict.

Lucy realized he was going to let her lead this one at her own pace, especially when Cobra could pick up on everything in the room. Suddenly she didn't feel quite as comfortable around the slayer, glancing at Freed momentarily before stiffly walking to the couch opposite of Cobra and taking a seat. His one eye watched her, remaining quiet as Freed sat on her other side.

He held up a hand before she could speak, taking a breath, "I can hear your thoughts Heartfilia, but could you try to calm down? I don't intend to pry where I'm not welcome – _trust me_ , Titania made it quite clear that I shouldn't."

She half-heartedly smiled, imaging Erza's intimidating presence yelling at the slayer. "Okay."

"I also don't want a recap," he continued, shooting Freed a look. "I've already heard it in everybody's head like a dozen times. You want to know what I know about my former team. Sorry to disappoint, but we don't really keep in contact anymore. They didn't give a damn about me when I didn't want to try and fail to _find my happy ending_ again."

Lucy flinched at his wording, and the moment he smirked and looked her direction she realized he'd done it on purpose. "That is why they took your keys, right? For some happy ending bullshit."

She nodded, surprised how _easy_ this was. She hadn't said a word yet about what happened, and already he knew the story.

Cobra scoffed, sitting forward on the seat. Even if Lucy was apprehensive about what he was going to say, she could tell he had Freed's full attention. Usually the rune mage was focused on her wellbeing, but right now he seemed pretty damn interested in what Cobra had to say.

She couldn't even fault him. He wanted answers after all, some she wouldn't give.

"Before you keep considering how to kill them," he snapped, pointing a finger at Freed, "and your friends in there make one more stupid remark about my _mind reading skills_ , let me set the record straight. I haven't spoken to any of my former teammates in months. The only things I can tell you are whatever Midnight told me before I told them to fuck off."

Lucy almost smiled. Well, at least he was painfully honest.

Cobra shot her a look, and she wondered what he thought of _her_ thoughts. "All I know is Midnight had some sort've half-crazed plan going on to save his soul. Jellal found all of us after we were released from prison, and he wanted us to join Crime Sorciere. Midnight – Macbeth, if you want to be technical – thought it was a joke. After all, he was half of our hell in the Tower of Heaven. So, like anyone with a decent grudge, we turned the offer down."

Rolling his eyes, Cobra sat back again. "Midnight wanted us to go on some sort of quest to find a spiritual embodiment that could sever the darkness in our souls. He believes the only way to move on from our pasts is to _remove_ what ties us to our sins. I don't know where that idea came from, he went a little wild after Jellal sought us out."

He turned his attention back to Lucy, glaring at her with his one eye. "Think about what happened during your time being held prisoner by Midnight and the others. If you show me, it might help me figure out why they wanted your keys. Your friends can only fill in so many holes. If you let me see, I can try to tell you why it ever happened."

She tensed, eyes widening at the idea. She got enough unwelcome flashbacks all on her own without trying to force the memories. She didn't know what kind of horrors her mind would surrender if she let Cobra in, or what would happen when he did.

He was just an outsider looking in. Whatever he was would only give him an idea of what she went through, but she'd have to bare herself to let him into the memories. Usually reliving it caused her to scream and cry.

There were too many people in the house to let go like that, and she wasn't mentally prepared to let someone in to see her demons.

Freed, apparently, also thought the idea was pretty bold. He leaned forward, and Lucy could feel the magical energy beginning to radiate off of him. "You can't make her relive something like that! You have a lot of nerve assuming she'd willingly let you see what happened!"

Cobra shrugged, and even as the panic began setting in she could see Kinana tensing beside him, looking just as surprised by the request. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You've always said memories are powerful."

"Memories give insight," Cobra said with a shrug. "It's not like I can _see_ what's happening, but memories provide a lot of thoughts and feelings. You don't even have to talk to me if you don't feel like it. Just think about it, whatever damn part of the memory you think has the most information, and it should be enough. I just need to know what they were talking about. Midnight had lots of plans as soon as we got out of prison. I didn't listen to half of them, but there are too many to list."

"He took her keys-" Freed began.

"I know he took her keys," Cobra snapped, glaring. "It's a given. But what they want to do with the keys is the confusing part. You can tell me whatever you want Heartfilia, verbal or otherwise, but _I_ can't tell you what I think they're doing without knowing what you know."

Lucy inhaled sharply, glancing at Freed. She'd known from the start contacting Cobra was a gamble, one that could possibly blow up in their faces. He knew more about his prior teammates than anyone else, but he was also terribly blunt.

Freed had kept her safe so far, not pushing her before she was ready. But an opportunity sat before her, and if she refused to let Cobra know what she did he might leave, and there was no telling if he'd agree to come back and talk again when she was ready.

He couldn't protect her from her memories, the one place she had no power over what happened. Until she learned to overcome the nightmares she couldn't control her racing thoughts, and she feared Cobra might pick up on more than she wanted him to.

Folding her arms around herself, she clamped her eyes shut. Freed was saying something beside her, but she couldn't even focus on his soothing voice this time. She knew without a doubt Freed would stand up for her if she couldn't do this, and he and the rest of his team would make Cobra leave if he put up a fight.

But the rational side of her mind told her to let Cobra know. This might be her only chance to talk to the difficult man, and if she passed up the chance to know what those monsters wanted with her spirits she'd kick herself later.

She desperately wanted to let Freed go ahead and kick him out, curl into a ball and pretend her panic wasn't happening. But she knew Cobra could already sense her fear, and he'd know exactly why she refused to share.

Besides… he said she didn't have to talk out loud. She could just think about it, which was frighteningly easy to do. Nobody else would have to hear it, and no one she talked to would look at her any different.

She didn't care about Cobra. His opinion of her meant nothing. Maybe if he saw the severity of the situation he'd stop being so damn annoying and try being helpful.

Opening her eyes, she noted Freed was just as close as before. His hand was still on her arm, and she could feel the power radiating off him in waves. Across the way Cobra seemed much more relaxed, waiting to see her thoughts.

Lucy realized the jerk already knew what she was going to do, waiting quietly to see how she'd give the information. Turning to Freed she forced a smile, even when her nerves felt close to breaking. Reaching up she squeezed the hand gripping her arm until he let go, grasping his fingers with both of her hands instead.

Without a word, she turned her head and glared at Cobra, meeting his gaze. It was kind of empowering to do so while her mind jerked back, thinking about one of the worst memories she had when their eyes met.

He wanted to so badly push to know what she did. Fine, she'd let him read her mind, and all the uncensored shit too.

" _Wake up blondie!" Midnight screamed, jerking her awake. Lucy's eyes flew open, disorientation flicking through her mind momentarily before she took in her surroundings, panic jumping to life._

 _Midnight. She hadn't seen him in months. He looked worse for wear, hair stringy and greasy, hanging limp around his head. One eye was swollen shut, and he looked like he recently almost got devoured by something._

 _Lucy didn't understand what that was about._

 _His eyes turned away from hers, staring at someone on the other side of her body. Blinking, she tried to reach up and touch her pounding head, finding that she couldn't move her arms._

 _Her eyes widened, attempting to flail her arms. They were tied down, her keys quite obviously gone from her hip. She kicked her legs, which were still free, but noted the frigid metal touching her bare skin. Where the hell was she?_

" _You promised this would work," Midnight hissed, speaking to someone she couldn't see. "You said get the fucking keys and we could take her spirits!"_

" _Well I've never had an opportunity like this before," someone else replied, the voice eerily familiar. "I've never met another celestial wizard with so many spirits at her disposal! We can pick the strongest ones!"_

" _Wha-what about my spirits?" she asked, eyes widening further. Why was she slurring? Her whole body felt sluggish, and she couldn't quite remember where she was going before finding herself on this table._

 _Midnight glanced back at her, glaring. "Shh."_

" _We can't do anything right now anyway," the voice continued, and Lucy wished she could turn her head. "The spirits are still contracted to her. We can't do anything until the agreements are broken, and it has to be done willingly. Once the agreements are severed, we have our pick amongst some of the strongest celestial spirits in existence! The magic can't fail with such a bountiful pick as that!"_

 _Midnight scowled, magic dancing to life in his hand. "Fine, then let me kill her. Problem solved."_

" _I said that she has to sever the contracts willingly! If she relinquishes her spirits, they will return to the next wizard who has access to their key and want answers! If she dies the spirits will know, and we will never trick them. That's why we have to have Angel. She knows how to summon spirits."_

" _That sounds like a big waste of time," Midnight snapped, turning his attention back to Lucy. Her eyes widened as his hand snapped out, slamming into her head. She screamed, feeling the sudden onslaught of magic sinking into her head. Immediately her vision darkened, nightmarish images taking over._

" _Stop! I said she has to agree you idiot!" The hand was removed from her head as Lucy continued to scream, the images fading slowly. When her vision finally cleared enough to see between the dots, she realized the other person was in her line of vision._

 _Rustyrose._

" _She seized!" Rusty screamed, smacking Midnight. "If she dies this is all a huge waste of time!"_

" _What are we supposed to do?" he argued, smacking her in the head again. Her vision blurred for a moment, but at least this time she didn't feel the invading magic taking over her mind. "She's stubborn! She'll never give those fucking spirits up without some sort of persuasion."_

 _Rusty smirked, turning to look at her. She tensed a moment later when she felt a hand on her leg, sliding up the naked skin towards the hem of her skirt._

 _She panicked, kicking one of her unbound legs up until it struck him in the back of the head, finding some sort of satisfaction when he grunted in pain._

 _Midnight pushed him away, that terrifying magic in his hands again. "Not that kind of persuasion you dumbass! We can get the exact same results beating her. She'll give the contracts up." He turned, meeting her gaze. "She has to."_

"Enough."

" _It'd be a lot faster than your ideas!" Rusty argued, his hands lighting as well. "She's been beaten before! We can expedite it-"_

"Lucy."

" _Even I wouldn't do that," Midnight seethed, eyes darkening. "Breaking the contracts is my job! You have no part until we have the spirits! Keep up your end of the bargain or I'll snap all but three keys so you never have a chance!"_

" _I'll leave you all to suffer alone if you do! I won't kill the celestials if you dare to stab me in the back!"_

"Lucy!" Freed snapped, drawing her out of the memory. She blinked, realizing her body was shaking hard enough she was almost jerking in his grip. Her cheeks felt wet, and it took a moment to realize the hysterical sound she was hearing was her as she panicked.

"Breathe," he continued, relaxing a hair when her eyes focused on him. Over his shoulder she could see Kinana holding tight to Cobra's arm, who'd gone as white as a sheet.

She tried to be smart and say he asked for it, but her mind wouldn't work. Her body was almost hyperventilating, the hysteria taking over the rational side of her mind.

And she thought this might be a good fucking idea.

"Breathe" Freed said again, resting his forehead against hers. She took a shuddering breath, finding comfort with his close proximity. She should've heeded him when he was worried about her doing this. Look where being brave got her.

She hiccupped, realizing she was crying. His fingers ran through her tangled hair, quietly asking her to calm down. It took many minutes, the seconds ticking by in her head as she forced herself to calm down, finally relaxing into Freed when her body gave up, exhausted. Her head fell against his shoulder, the shuddering beginning to decrease.

Her fingers dug into his shirt, terrified.

When Lucy finally felt like she could take a breath and note choke from the action she raised her head, meeting Freed's eyes before looking anywhere else.

She gasped quietly, staring at his right eyes. The Dark Ecriture magic bubbled there, the strength of his magic nearly reaching out to touch her.

Lucy blinked. She hadn't seen him so angry, even when he found her in the basement.

He pulled her hands away from him, kissing the knuckles of her right hand without breaking their gaze. "Sit with Evergreen," he said, standing to turn away.

She didn't say anything when he grabbed a still sheet-white Cobra, dragging him out of the house. She watched silently, her hands digging into each other. Evergreen came and sat beside her, looking just as worried, but she hardly registered that the girl was there.

Her eyes followed Freed until he disappeared out the front door, throwing Cobra in front of him, slamming the door behind. She'd felt his magical power, and hoped he didn't kill that poor slayer.

He was just doing what they asked. Cobra couldn't help what he unearthed.

* * *

The moment the front door clanged shut, Freed grabbed the front of Cobra's shirt, the suppressed magical energy bursting to life inside of him as he literally threw the dragon slayer through one of the posts on his front porch, splintering the wood as Cobra flew nearly fifteen feet from the house, scrambling to regain his balance.

Freed stalked after him, debating if killing the slayer was worth not learning what he'd seen. He'd told the dumbass to stop listening twice when Lucy started crying, and he'd been too involved with whatever he was seeing to even listen.

"You fucks wanted me to know!" Cobra seethed, jumping out of the way when Freed drew his sword. "I have to know what she does to tell you what I think! You guys wanted me to fucking come!"

He stopped a couple feet away, swinging his sword. It ripped a huge wave of magic, flattening the trees to his left. When he spoke his tone came out deadly serious, the venom in his voice leaking into the air. "I didn't tell you to read her mind and make her cry. You decided to do that."

"I have to know what she knows to figure it out," he snapped back, his hands igniting with his poison magic. "Now are you going to listen to what I think, or do you want to fight me about it?"

Freed forced himself to look away, gripping his sword tighter. He refused to return it to its sheath. "Tell me what you saw."

Cobra scoffed, relaying what he'd seen. He had to jump out of the way twice at the end of the story, dodging Freed's wide attacks.

"Fuck man! I'm just telling you what I heard in her mind. There's a reason I tried telling her to stop."

Freed nodded curtly, pursing his lips. It didn't matter what Cobra tried to do, he was the damn reason this happened. "You got what you wanted. Now you better tell me something fucking amazing about what you heard, or I _will_ tear you to pieces for making her relive it."

Cobra arched an eyebrow, sizing up Freed a moment before letting the magic in his hand die out. "Sorano – Angel, whatever you want to call her – told us about this crazy rumor she heard once about celestial spirits. She used to give us some bullshit story about learning how to summon spirits so she could fly with them, but I don't think that's why she chose to learn summoning magic. She used to say that if you could force a spirit through their gate and break the key while they are in our world, they become part of this world."

"So?"

Rolling his eyes, he continued on, "So if you can do it while the gate is still open, it remains that way. The gates to the celestial world close when the spirit fully reaches this world. If the gate key is broken and the connection severed, the gate and all the magic included cannot tell if the spirit arrived or not. It only lasts for a few moments, but the rumor is you can give up part of your soul to the celestial spirit world during those moments, and that part disappears forever since there's no key to get it back."

Freed's eyes widened, the pieces beginning to fall in place. "You think they want to break Lucy's contracts so that they can summon the spirits again and try this ritual?"

Cobra nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Sounds like it. I think Sorano stopped believing in that idea a long time ago, especially when she stopped practicing celestial magic, but Midnight never did. Sometimes he used to quiz her on it. I don't know why they would need Rustyrose though."

Narrowing his eyes, Freed inclined his head. "How exactly are you supposed to sever your soul?"

"I have no god damn idea. I didn't take this shit seriously, but Midnight did. I never understood how it would work, but he must've found a way since they caught Heartfilia. Maybe Rusty's that way."

Freed tensed, tightening his grip on the blade. He badly wanted to strike Cobra down for pushing Lucy to revisit something so awful, but he couldn't quite make himself do it. Jackass or not, Cobra seemed to provide an answer none of them had. Hell, he even figured things out Freed himself didn't know.

But at the cost? He'd seen the way Lucy's sanity unraveled, stuck in a memory she couldn't escape. He'd have to talk to her about it at some point, but how would he ever know when the right point was?

Glaring off the other direction, he reminded himself to not fight Cobra. Even Laxus did that when he tried to get up and blast him out of the living room when he pushed too far. If he looked upon him again, he was certain he couldn't control his temper.

He was determined now. He'd find Midnight and Rustyrose, and make them pay for ever laying a finger on her. He'd bring them to their knees.

With the Dark Ecriture magic still burning in his right eye, Freed wasn't certain he could face Cobra without striking him down. Instead he spoke just one word, daring the dragon slayer to fight him. " _Leave_."

 **A/n: I do love a dark story. Let me know your thoughts.**


	9. Chapter 9

"He told you."

Freed whipped around, surprised by the voice behind him. Lucy stood just outside his front door, her fingers pulling nervously at the neckline of her blouse. He'd been so distracted chasing Cobra off he hadn't heard the door opening.

Over her shoulder he could see Laxus studying them. Freed had no doubts that he was partially to blame for Lucy stepping outside.

Sheathing his sword he moved to step forward but Lucy beat him to it, stepping cautiously across the porch until she stood beside him in the grass. "He told you what he saw."

"I wanted him to," Freed replied, once more glancing over her head. Lucy's head snapped around too, already aware of what he was watching. In the distance he could see Kinana dragging Cobra away from his house, the snide asshole occasionally looking back towards them.

Lucy looked away first, her eyes coming back to meet his. She blinked a couple times before reaching up, her fingers gently touching the skin around his eye currently pulsing with magic. Freed took a sharp breath, surprised by the intimate gesture.

"I doubt Cobra will come back and fight now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't need to continue radiating so much magic. You'll exhaust yourself."

He smiled, letting his magic simmer out and disperse. He had half a mind to tell her he'd much rather burn off his frustration, but let the words die on his tongue. "I suppose."

Lucy returned the smile, something he hadn't seen in days. Before he could comment she reached forward, shyly wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Her touch was gentle and hesitant, but Freed could not be more floored.

The only times they ever embraced were during her breakdowns when she needed a pull back to reality. He had never tried for another reason before. Still, it only took a moment for his arms to find their place around her lower back, gripping tight. She kept her face level, her chin digging gently into his chest.

"Thanks Freed," she continued, her voice stronger than before. "I don't think I could do this without you."

* * *

Lucy tapped her nails lightly against the counter, thankful for the tranquil silence of Freed's home once more. It was harder to get his team to leave than Cobra, especially with the trio asking an absurd amount of questions.

It was all Evergreen mostly, but Lucy wasn't going to point fingers. Everyone present already knew more about her ordeal than she felt comfortable with anyway.

Well, everyone but Freed. She supposed Cobra's one saintly deed was his negligence to go into the details of her memory. He gave Freed a rundown, but failed to mention some of the dirtier details, such as Rustyrose's terrifying alternatives to get her to break. She wasn't sure if it was a benefit or not that he kept those details to himself. It left it up to her to decide whether to divulge Freed or not, and she almost wished he'd gotten it all over with.

Sitting in his kitchen now she reflected on what to do. She'd been wallowing in self pity and fear for an entire week and had neglected to go looking for her spirits. She'd overheard Cobra explaining things to Freed, and it left her bound and determined to pick herself up and go get her friends back. She'd already wasted enough time waiting.

Lucy knew through the grapevine that Levy and a few other Fairy Tail wizards were hard at work trying to find out anything about what the Seis were planning to go with just spirits, and while she was thankful for everyone's help she'd begun to feel an itch to handle things herself. She wanted to be part of it and get back into the fray. These were her friends, she needed to be the one to find and save them from Midnight's unholy plan.

She just didn't understand why Rustyrose was involved. He certainly had to have a part to play, but what?

Glancing up as Freed returned to the kitchen, she straightened her back a little. Yes, she needed to go after her spirits, but reckless behavior wouldn't help right now. Besides, there was something more pressing to attend to.

"Uh, Freed?"she said, trying to keep get voice steady. He froze halfway past her, surprised. Honestly she'd done a lot more talking today than usual.

"Yes?" he replied, arching an eyebrow as he leaned forward on the island between them. Despite his leisurely tone she could still see the tension in his shoulders, the aftermath of Cobra's visit clearly leaving him more troubled than before.

And he didn't even know the half of it.

Pursing her lips, she glanced around the kitchen. "We... there's no more food."

He paused for a moment, looking thoroughly confused. "Pardon?"

Clearing her throat, she tried again, "Uh, we ate the last of it this morning-"

Freed's eye's widened, looking horrified. "You mean that rock hard muffin? There's no way that's all there is-"

"Well we've ordered in mostly this last week," Lucy reminded, her eyes dropping to the countertop. "And I know there's no more milk and eggs-"

"Nonsense, there's some in the fridge-"

"Uh, well, Evergreen threw that out two days ago after Bickslow finished the milk and the eggs expired, " she finished sheepishly, continuing to keep her eyes down. Considering what just happened with Cobra, this kind of seemed like a stupid thing to bring up. "So um, we need to order in again or-"

Lucy cut herself off when Freed suddenly slumped into the chair beside her, his green locks swinging into focus. Shifting her gaze up again she noted the perturbed look on his face as he threw open a drawer, digging around for a pen.

"How the hell did I forget to buy food," he muttered to himself, already shuffling around for paper. "How stupid. That muffin is the only thing in the house? What did I even eat this morning? How did I let you eat that?"

"You didn't eat this morning," she replied, a bemused smile tugging at her lips. "You were too busy wandering around muttering about dragon slayers. "

"I told you Lucy, experience," he replied, scribbling down a grocery list. "I've known Laxus a long time now. Dragon slayers tend to have larger than life personalities is all. I didn't know what to expect."

"They are a handful," Lucy mused, resting her head on her hand.

Freed stopped scribbling, eyes snapping over to her. She immediately lost her cool, sitting up stiffly again at his intense look.

"Why are you so calm?"

Lucy blinked. "What?"

"Relaxed? You've been just over a week and I haven't had a carefree conversation with you this entire time. What changed?"

Biting her lip, she pondered the question. He'd definitely spent enough time with her to notice the difference, and her response was a surprise to even her. Considering the newest memory left her a trembling, sobbing mess less than an hour ago, it was a pretty big change for her to be sitting in the kitchen talking easily.

She cleared her throat, tightening her grip on the countertop. "Um, its just... its kind of nice that you understand now, a little bit. I know it's just one moment, but... I didn't have to find the words to explain. Cobra's a jerk, but at least he could say what I can't."

Narrowing his eyes, he waited a moment before speaking. "I get the impression that he didn't explain everything."

"You noticed that?"

"He kept clearing his throat and moving on at certain points," Freed continued with a shrug. "I assumed he was skipping over certain parts."

Nodding, her gaze shifted down again. "I..."

"You don't have to fill me in right now, Lucy, " he interrupted, gently patting her hand. "I was just pointing out that it was noticable. When and if you decide to tell me more, it will be on your own terms. There's no rush."

Lucy let a smile pull at her lips, constantly surprised by Freed's kindness. The smile widened briefly when he reached over to give her hand a squeeze, but melted away just as quick.

She wasn't sure she'd ever be ready to explain more.

"I'll ask Ever to stop by the store tomorrow," Freed continued, pulling away. "Let me just grab the carry out menus-"

"Well," Lucy squealed, whipping her head up. He paused a few steps away, giving her a moment to respond. "Well I thought we could do the shopping together... this afternoon."

Freed's eyebrows shot up, his left nearly disappearing with his right into his hairline. He almost dropped the list, remaining frozen for several moments before speaking again. "You want to go into town?"

Bracing herself, she nodded. "Yes."

"With people."

"Yes."

"Our guildmates will be out," he continued, looking unconvinced. "And they will want to talk."

"I'm aware, " she said, swallowing. "But I... I need to do this."

Tilting his head, he did a quick survey of her. "Are you sure you aren't pushing yourself too much? You haven't wanted to see a lot of people or go outside-"

"I want to go into town with you for groceries, " she argued, keeping her voice as firm as possible. "I need to do this."

Stepping back he frowned, stuffing the list into his pocket. "Alright, if you're certain."

Nodding vigorously, she stood as well. "Yes, yes I am."

* * *

Freed couldn't ignore the amusement in her eyes when he came back downstairs.

"What is that?" she asked, stifling a giggle. Freed fought down the urge to frown, looking at himself in the nearest mirror.

"It's not like I have my regular jacket," he remarked, stuffing his hands down into his pockets. "This is the closest coat I have to the red one."

Lucy couldn't help herself, suppressing another giggle. "But it's... purple."

"It's practically black!"

Rolling her eyes, she pointed at the ruffled mess. "No, that's closer to eggplant. Where did you even find something like that?"

Sighing, he wondered why he bothered. He'd already scrounged through his closet once looking for a tolerable substitute until he found something proper to replace his darling coat, and this was as close as he was going to get. It was long, had a spot for his sword, pockets, even ruffles to boot.

But why did the damn thing have to be such a godawful color? Freed himself wasn't even sure how he ended up buying that one.

"Let's just go," he grumbled, leading her outside. He still thought this was a rotten idea, especially given everything Lucy went through so far today, but she didn't want to listen to reason. She was bound and determined for one reason or another to do this today, even if she was already emotionally spent. He could tell she was barely holding herself together, her eyes a little wider than normal and her smiles forced.

He just couldn't convince himself to keep her inside. The best way to test Lucy's breathing point after all was to push her, he just worried she was stringing herself out. Groceries could've waited until tomorrow or the next day. Hell, even their friends could've picked something up and brought it over.

Freed didn't want to stop her from pushing forward and past, but he also didn't want to see her suffer another breakdown today.

"Could we maybe not walk that way?" she muttered, almost immediately veering them off the direct path to the nearest store. "My apartment is down that way."

Immediately, he knew she was avoiding the street out of fear. He'd specifically tried going that way to see how she reacted. "You still think Midnight will know you're there? Lucy, I'm sure by now he and everyone else involved realizes that Fairy Tail is aware that you were hurt. There are investigative parties and everything out trying to hunt the Seis down. I'm sure if you wanted to go to your apartment it would be safe to do so."

She hesitated, touching the jacket she'd thrown on. Freed recognized it as one of the main items Natsu picked up from her place, something she'd kept close by in her room. Surely she had other things she wanted to pick up.

"I'm tired of burdening people, " she sighed, footsteps slowing. "Nothing so far has helped me make any progress. Even today I feel was a bust."

"Why would you say that?" he asked, gently reaching out to halt her. "It takes time-"

"And I've wasted enough," she snapped, tightly clenching her hands. "My spirits don't have endless time."

Clicking his tongue, Freed smoothed his hand along her arm. "We've discussed this. Pushing won't help. Running directly into danger is madness. You're not burdening anyone, you must realize this. I plan to tell Levy what we learned from Cobra if Laxus hasn't already. I'm sure she will be able to research whatever this ritual is and help with a timeline."

"I have to give my spirits up," she whispered meeting Freed's eyes. "The Seis tortured me so I could release them from their contracts. Maybe the only timeline is me."

"Then there is no reason to push, " Freed reasoned, grasping her chin before she could look down again. "And you won't be prepared to face any of them if you cannot pass your own apartment without being afraid. Small steps Lucy."

She hesitated, attempting to pull free of his gentle but firm hold on her chin before giving up altogether. Lifting her gaze again, he was surprised to find her eyes watery. "But... what if I can't do it? What if I try to walk past my own home and I panic? What if they really are waiting for me?"

He placed a hand gently against her cheek when she began to panic, pleased when the action calmed her again. "That's what I'm here for," he reminded, letting some of his magic tickle her cheek, a firm reminder that he was strong too. "I promised I'd protect you from getting hurt again, remember?"

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Yeah."

"Then I think it's time you show me your apartment," he continued, smiling when her mood lightened. She hadn't even fully panicked, a step up from this morning. "If you want we can pick up some things on the way."

She didn't look as convinced about that but nodded anyway, shyly grabbing his hand to lead him the other way once more. Freed was surprised she agreed so easily, hoping her gentle smiles were genuine this time around.

Walking to her place was a quiet affair, and she nearly let them walk past it before clearing her throat, halting them rather suddenly. Her eyes stared at the third floor, mouth slightly agape.

Freed noticed it without her having to say anything, his nerves picking up again. "That's your window, isn't it?"

She jerked free of his hold, immediately flying into the apartment complex. Freed followed half a step behind, his eyes never leaving the open third floor window until it was out of sight.

Of course it was her room.

"Lucy!" he yelled, catching her shoulder at the top floor before she could barge in. No way was he going to let her go in first, especially without her keys and whip. She spun around, eyes alive with a mix of fear and anger.

"Let me go!" she snapped, trying to pull away again. He kept his hold firm, well aware that gripping too tightly might set her off.

"You can follow in behind me," he said, pushing her back from the door. She jutted a foot out, and he barely missed getting kicked in the shin. "Stop it! Do you even have your key?"

She froze, his words cutting in. The fire in her eyes immediately winked out, and he felt guilty for making it go away. "No. I guess they took that too."

Freed nodded, looking towards they door that was clearly Lucy's. Her pink welcome sign was a giveaway. Stepping forward he tried the door, unsurprised to find it locked. If they came in through the window the door was unneeded. With a flick of his wrist he opened the door, no magical barrier keeping him away bay.

Immediately, he shot her a disapproving look. "You must have better security than that."

She shrugged, eyes fixated on the door. "I had my spirits."

Freed didn't argue, already pushing the door open. Lucy bolted under his arm to get inside, and he didn't fight her this time. The moment he opened the lock he could sense no one was inside.

Surprisingly, most of the room looked untouched. It wasn't until his eyes snapped to her desk and dresser that the anger returned, and he had to grip his sword to keep from blowing out the other side of the building.

He could feel his magic leaking back into his eye, daring any one of the Seis to still be in town.

Lucy stood frozen, staring at the mess. Between the torn up pages falling off her desk and the fact that someone dug through her underwear drawer and left a trail, she didn't seem know where to look.

Freed wasn't as concerned about the desk, moving instead to the broken drawer. He found it much more disturbing that someone dragged various parts of her panties out of the space and some appeared _damp_.

The smell assaulted his nose as he approached the scent still lingering in the air. He choked when he realized what it was, the anger immediately taking over tenfold. Someone was here _recently_.

Pushing aside the sudden nausea that swept over him he spun around, ready to drag Lucy back to the protection of his home. Thinking about why one of the Seis decided to leave _semen_ behind was too much for him to handle right now. He refused to leave Lucy there another moment.

How could she stand the _smell_? Freed noticed right away, and the implication alone made him want to gag.

He needed to get her away from there, now. The blood was pounding in his ears, well aware of how stupid he'd been to take her out.

Lucy was crouched beside the torn bits of paper, her gaze solely focused there. Freed couldn't make himself care in that moment about her fears, dragging her up and spinning her around to face him so quick he nearly knocked her over. Getting in her face, he momentarily ignored the way she panicked.

"What did they do to you?" he seethed, dragging her close. Lucy leaned away, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "Tell me!"

He realized she'd been crying, her shoulders still shaking even now. He wondered how he missed that. "I-I did!"

Freed closed his eyes, forcing himself to remember that he needed to be more level headed, no matter the amount of anger. Letting go of her arms he opened his eyes in time to see her fall down into the desk chair, hands shaking so hard they might pop off.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately, realizing his reaction probably did more harm than good. Taking a step back he glanced around the room, the anger still eating at him. "We need to go back, right now."

She shook her head, looking back at the desk. "M-my letters."

"What?"

Pointing, she leaned forward shakingly and snatched up a bit of paper, Freed realizing they really were letters. "I write t- these to my mom. She c-cant read them here but I do it anyway-"

"Why would anyone bother tearing up letters?" he muttered accidentally interrupting her. Lucy froze, shrugging rigid shoulders as the paper fell back out of her fingers. Only then did she seem to truly notice the rest of the room, her eyes sweeping around until they landed on the drawer.

She jumped up, nearly falling in the process as she started screaming, scrambling to get further away.

He snapped forward, pulling her back into him. No wonder she'd been so calm when they entered, she hadn't noticed everything yet. She turned away on her own, practically crushing him into a hug.

"O-oh god..."

"We're leaving," he snapped, pulling her closer into his body. "We can travel with my magic-"

"But my letters-"

"I'll tell the guild to come check this out and get the letters!" Freed argued, pulling her face back to focus on him. The tears were already dripping down her face, her breath coming out shaky. He could tell that his eye had darkened, Lucy's panicked expression briefly lingering there before she gave in, burying her head into his chest. "I'm going to teleport us back to my home. It'll feel strange-"

"Just do it!" she cried, digging her fingers into his jacket. "Take me out of here!"

Freed didn't need to be convinced, letting his magic overtake them. Her room disappeared, and he could feel the familiar tug of teleportation dragging him through space back to his home. He couldn't do it over long distances, but Lucy's apartment was close enough to allow him to.

It was only a couple moments before his feet touched down again on solid ground, Lucy buckling into him. He wasn't surprised, it messed with him the first couple times too.

They sank to the ground together, Lucy still shaking in his grip. He kept her pressed close to his chest, trying to soothe her cries. One hand reached into his coat pocket, hardly able to pull away from Lucy long enough to reach his lacrima.

"Laxus," he hissed, one hand still clutching the blonde, "get over here _now_."

* * *

This wasn't exactly what Freed had in mind when he called.

He looked up the stairs again, ever mindful of Lucy sitting at the top. She'd retreated when members of the guild started flocking his home. So far he'd done a decent job keeping people out but after his call to Laxus twenty minutes ago he figured it'd be impossible to keep certain people at bay.

But why did so many have to show up at once? Lucy was fine, just more shaken than before.

He didn't need the headache. His team he could handle, but Lucy's was another story. Usually they were happy and obnoxious, but the event at her apartment had sobered them up. Gray hadn't even tried stripping. That didn't even count the handful of other mages currently bounding around his living room, doing nothing particularly helpful.

Of all her friends, he was most concerned about Natsu. He'd been composed and guilty the past week, but today he could barely spare three minutes to walk in, almost blow apart his goddamn door, and piss off six other guildmates in the process.

He hadn't gone to speak to Lucy, aware that he was scaring her. Instead he walked directly up to Freed himself, who at the time was trying to talk to Mira about what happened.

 _"I have to go for a while," he began, causing Freed's eyebrows to shoot up. "I'm going to take care of those assholes."_

 _"Natsu," he said, glancing up the stairs to Lucy. She hadn't retreated from her spot, but like everyone else in the room he had her full attention. "We don't even know where to-"_

 _"Happy and I are going," he interrupted, his eye's growing brighter. "I'm done waiting around for answers. I'm going to fucking kill them."_

 _"As good as that sounds Natsu it's a waste of time if we don't know where to look," Freed snapped back, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others. Everyone was on edge, but there were plenty of people already out looking around without s lead, and Natsu went out on his often twice before now. "If we knew where they were none of this would be happening."_

 _"Its fine," he replied, shrugging. "I can be out as long as I need to be. I'll make sure they don't get away."_

 _"You feel like wasting time out there?" Freed snapped, his eyes dancing towards the stairs where Lucy was now leaning forward. "The guild needs you here or out on an actual search mission. Lucy-"_

 _"Has you to look out for her," Natsu interrupted, shooting a smile up the steps. "I'm not worried about her here right now, I'm worried about one of them showing up again."_

Natsu's words were touching, and they seemed to have the right affect on Lucy. Now if he could've gotten everyone else out with him, that would've been perfect.

Unfortunately, only Lisanna left with the pair. The rest of Lucy's team was still standing in the house, minus Erza who went with Master back to Lucy's apartment.

They were supposed to take Gray, but he was still failing to outrun that water mage.

The only person he was actually mildly happy to see was Levy, who's eyes lit up when he relayed what Cobra told them. At least she might be able to find something else out. It didn't matter to him right now. He'd relayed the message, and once he got everyone out he could check on Lucy again. He'd tried going to the stairs once before and she'd been unresponsive. Hopefully she'd open up a little when he kicked everyone out.

Seriously, there were members here who weren't part of her team. Freed found all the people to be more of a burden than a help, and he knew their presence made Lucy anxious.

But Makarov refused to let anyone besides Erza come to the apartment. Laxus was already there, going directly instead of heading to Freed's home first. Mira could've gone as well, but she chose to come see how Lucy was doing.

It was pretty obvious she was held together by strings.

"I'll get everyone back to the guild," Mira said kindly, eyes glancing at Lucy. "She needs some peace."

"Yes she does," Freed agreed, tightening his hands on his arms again. He'd been unable to do anything but cross them over his chest, mindful that if he left go of the rigid stance with everyone here he'd likely destroy his own house.

At least having Levy here seemed to be going okay. She remained at the bottom of the stairs talking to Lucy, one hand holding the banister. She was smiling, trying to be positive. Behind her Gajeel looked like he was studying Freeds sense of interior design, picking up various objects like he wanted to eat them.

He couldn't wait for the house to be empty again.

"I'll pick up some groceries for you tomorrow," Mira continued, "Evergreen told me about your frightfully small home supply. We'll take care of that, won't you worry. And tonight I'll come back with some of the dinner I made at the guild. You and Lucy need some good homemade food."

"Thanks Mira," he muttered.

"Oh, and Freed?"

Glancing sideways again, Freed sweatdropped when he noticed some of her magic glittering in her eyes. "Don't you dare let her out again until she is ready. She depends on you for help, but after everything she won't always be in her right mind. You have to take care of her. She needs you."

"Mira-" he began, eyebrows rising.

"I always guessed you were the bravest member of the Thunder Legion," she continued kindly, patting his hand. The magic in her eyes winked out again, replaced with worry. "And the kindest. That's why she needs you so much. You're good to her Freed."

He blinked as the takeover mage turned, surprised at her words. Mira didn't spend a lot of time around his team unless Laxus was present, and from the sounds of it she'd been pretty close to the other members at the guild since he found Lucy. She'd always been pretty nice to him, but she'd never really given him words of encouragement like that before.

"I'll clear everyone out," she said, winking his way. "The only one who would even fight is Gray, and Juvia took care of him."

Freed nodded, watching in a daze as Mira swept through and cleared everyone out. He barely registered what people said as they left, focused on making certain Lucy was okay and that he didn't snap and lose control.

He should've beat Cobra into the ground, even if he was helpful. At least all his anger wouldn't be so bottled up then.

By the time the house cleared he couldn't handle it anymore. He had to get rid of some of his hatred, and without hesitation he spun around and punched the wall, satisfied when he felt his magic pulse with the movement.

"Freed," Lucy whispered, her voice still far away. He was panting, angry that he couldn't maintain a semblance of control. He couldn't help himself. He had to do something.

He'd hated the Seis before for daring to hurt such a sweet member of the guild, now he was just angry that-

"I-I told you, remember," she continued, her footsteps echoing softly on the steps. He looked up as she approached, shaking out his hand. "They... no one raped me Freed. Midnight... Midnight thought it was a vulgar idea. They just want me to give in."

"But-"

"I-In the memory I showed Cobra..." her voice trailed off, wetting her lips. "T- that was Rustyrose's idea to break me. The smell in my apartment...:

Freed sucked in a breath, reminding himself to not freak out again. She was right, she had denied his fears days ago. "Try not to think about it, Lucy. If nothing like that happened it's probably some sick sort of warning."

She met his gaze, eyes still wide. Her hand gripped her hips, sliding down until they fisted the sides of her jeans. "Its a threat. If they find me..."

"They won't," he argued sternly, letting one of his hands brush her shoulder gently. "I promised they wouldn't touch you. Nothing's changed now."

"But I have to face them someday! H- how else will I ever get my spirits back?"

"Lucy-"

"And now there are even more people running into danger! Natsu already left. Levy told me the guild is still trying to strategize. They're going to get hurt!"

"Do you have so little faith in your friends?" he asked, frowning. "The only one we are worried about getting hurt Lucy is you."

She shook her head, taking a step back. "It doesn't matter. They were in my apartment. Rusty..."

"They can't get in here," he reassured, pointing at the walls. "My protection runes won't be ruined by some amateurs. They will never enter this house Lucy."

Biting her lip, she hesitated. "How do you know?"

"Because if they really knew exactly where you were and are so strong they would've come here and not bothered with your apartment. I know my magic very well. I don't know what kind of bullshit runes they used on you while you were there, but mine are ten times as strong as those. They are impossible to break."

Pausing, she glanced away briefly before meeting his eyes again, looking torn. "I don't know any other wizards besides you and Levy who use script magic."

"You think someone who does know how to is involved?" Freed asked, frowning.

"No. Uh... I think R-Rusty did it."

"What?"

"He uses Arc of Embodiment magic," she reasoned, "and I was unconscious when... when they bound me to the floor. He could've embodied script magic and used it to keep me in place."

"Its possible," Freed began, wondering what else Rustyrose could embody. "Even if he could do that his magic was weak. Embodying something and being a master are different things. Some of the runes were more complicated than others, he would've had to put a lot of thought into the enchantment. If they tried to attack here and destroy my runes, it wouldn't matter. I can alter the runes faster then some else could counteract and destroy them."

Lucy nodded, remaining quiet as she stared down at the floor. "If I don't call it my spirits, after so long the contacts server themselves. I hadn't abandon my spirits, but without the keys I can't summon them. I... I don't know if that would be the kind of breach they are looking for. Maybe my spirits could remain in the spirit world, and the whole plan will fall apart."

"But that would take a lot of time, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how long exactly. I can't even tell when they force open their gates. Loke and Virgo are known to do that, but the others may be able top if they feel threatened enough. They couldn't do it in the- in the basement, but I don't know that the Seis would do next."

Freed nodded along, surprised she was still willing to talk. "I explained to Levy what I found out from Cobra. She's going to let me know when she finds something out. If you're contracts take a long time to break then we should still have some time."

Lucy swallowed."I know we still have time," she whispered, hands gripping together. "I have a magical bond with each of my spirits. I can't communicate with them at this distance, but I feel their presence still. I would know if our contracts were destroyed. Our bond is still strong, I just wish I knew if they were okay."

"They are plenty safe until your contracts are broken. If you still feel the bond, there's nothing to worry about right now."

She nodded, the action jerky. "I... I'm just tired of worrying. I want my friends back."

"We will get them back."

Turning, she met his gaze again. "Freed?"

"Hmm?"

"P-promise... promise you won't leave."

"Why would I-" he stopped the question midway, watching the girl before him break down into a fit of sobs. Considering everything that happened today he was surprised she didn't cry more. Asking her more questions wouldn't help either of them right now.

Shifting forward he wrapped his arms around her rest against hers. "I already told you. I'm here to protect you."

 **A/n: So if you notice any grammatical errors in this chapter, I wrote it in my phone in the airport waiting for our flight home from our honeymoon. I got inspired while we were away and decided to try updating this story. I hope you enjoyed! It took a little bit darker turn but I don't think it was too terrible. Until next time.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Trigger warning: Mentions of some sexual/non con content.**

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to focus. If she could stay this way long enough, she might be able to sense her spirits again. It only happened once so far since coming to Freed's, but that instance of bliss was enough to see her through. She just needed to know they were alright.

She'd only gotten that connection with Loke, and it definitely wasn't strong enough to venture trying to communicate. She wasn't even certain she could do that. It lasted for barely a few seconds, but was enough for Lucy to sense that he was unharmed. Still, the effort it took last time left her panting.

Glancing around her room, Lucy took a moment to compose herself. It was late, and she'd finally convinced Freed to go back to his room and attempt sleep. Being left alone had her hair standing on end, but she hesitated to bother him again. The whole day was a wash, and she'd rather just move forward and forget.

Easier said than done.

So far she'd managed to sit alone in her room on the bed, fidgeting as she attempted to focus. Giving up she sat up again, her toes digging into the soft material of the blanket Freed gave her.

God, she was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to slip into sleeps gentle embrace. But she knew it once she slipped under her dreams would be frightening, and she couldn't handle that.

Lucy kept trying to ignore the eccentric beat of her heart, but it wasn't working. All she needed to do was turn off the light to try to sleep, and she couldn't yet will herself to do it. Darkness brought back memories and nightmares, and despite his constant reassurance Lucy couldn't get it out of her had that Midnight could appear in the shadows and drag her away again.

She didn't want to have to go.

Or worse, _Rusty_. The remnants of what they'd seen earlier in her apartment sent shivers down her spine, and she glanced half-heartedly towards the bag containing all that was left of her letters to her mom. She hadn't tried to look at the remains yet, knowing it would shatter the last of her resolve.

Tucking her legs up underneath her, she looked longingly towards the door again. Freed probably wouldn't mind if she bugged him, certainly preferring that over waking to her screams. But that would mean crossing the dark hallway to knock on his door, or simply barge in, and she wasn't sure she was brave enough to do that.

He might prefer being woken up over jolting awake, but it still seemed wrong to disturb him. He deserved the right to a proper night sleep after all, even if he said so otherwise before they went to bed.

 _You can come get me whenever you need. You're not fighting this battle alone, Lucy._

Wrapping herself in a hug, her mind started playing tricks on her in the dark. Rustyrose, Midnight, any of them could find a way to sneak in. _Somehow_. Staring at the window they could peer over the sill at any moment, daunting eyes threatening to take her back…

Lucy whimpered, gripping tighter onto her own arms. She wouldn't go back to them unprepared. She couldn't. She desperately wished she had her spirits there, they could always lift her mood when she was feeling defeated.

Only this time, she needed to lift theirs. She needed to get back to them before one of her beloved friends slipped through their gate, and possibly got themselves tortured and captured.

They could always comfort her when her fears snuck up too, like being found by those demons…

Lucy was off the bed before she realized what she was doing, darting out of the bedroom before she lost her nerve. A cold sweat broke out across her temple, her fears plaguing her mind even while awake. She wrapped once on Freed's door before throwing it open, her own mind causing her fear to peak well beyond reason.

The man in question was already up by the time she made it to his bedside, flicking on the light as she approached. He looked confused but not tense like normal, and she realized he'd already noticed that no one else was in the house. He would've jumped up if he was concerned, but instead he was focusing on her intently, trying to figure out what was wrong.

She stilled beside the bed as their eyes met, her own panic beginning to subside. He didn't say anything for a few seconds, taking in her rapid breathing and clenched hands before talking.

"Nightmares?"

She tried to laugh, but choked, the noise sounding more like a sob. "I didn't even get to sleep."

He tilted his head, something flashing behind his eyes before he sat up and swung his legs off the bed. His hair was messy, and now she was worried she woke him from some decent sleep. "Did you want to talk?"

Rocking on her heels, she looked around the room uncertainly. "I… don't know. I just, I ran in here."

Freed's eyebrows rose a little. "Just?"

"I was thinking about my apartment earlier," she blurted out, the words coming out rushed and run together. Lucy's eyes widened when she realized that she'd just burdened him again, ready to watch the despair return to his eyes again. Things kept happening, and it seemed like no matter what he did to help it was always getting worse.

His expressions softened, adjusting on the bed. He stayed quiet for a moment before speaking, seeming to mull that over. "I promise the wards are intact. There's nothing to be afraid of here."

"I'm tired of being afraid," she admitted, her knees giving out as she sank down beside his bed. Freed looked alarmed, his arms coming out to grasp beneath hers before she reached the floor, successfully helping her sit down beside him. "I'm tired… I'm tired of being useless."

"You're not useless," he argued. "Everyone needs time to heal after an ordeal, remember? It's barely been a week, and you spent just as long being tortured. These things won't heal overnight."

"But I'm not doing _anything_!" she screamed, meeting Freed's gaze. "Nothing! If they came back… if they found me o-or if I was in my apartment when they came back…"

She shuddered, the words fading into silence. Freed remained looking perplexed, his eyes never leaving her face. "You won't be alone. Even if you aren't around me no one would leave you to your own devices. We wouldn't even think of it, especially if you don't have your spirits around to assist in a fight."

Lucy bit her lip, digging painfully in with her teeth. "But I don't have them. Even if I did encounter them, what would I do without my spirits? I don't have my Fleuve _d_ 'étoiles, and I can't get another until I see Virgo again. I-I have no way to save myself. I have to depend on others."

"Lucy-"

"They'll get me alone," she continued, eyes watering. "They always do. It's a classic scenario. They have to know I'm more or less helpless w-without my spirits and my whip. They wouldn't let me close enough for a Lucy-kick-"

"Those do hurt," Freed grumbled.

"-and I can't do any damage long distance without a weapon," she admitted, dropping her head. It felt good to voice her fears, but it didn't make a difference. These were all things Freed probably already knew, and he just like everyone else believed he had a plan that would involve Lucy never being alone where one of the Seis could get to her while helpless.

She'd started having doubts about that. So far they eluded all her Fairy Tail friends who went searching, yet somehow they got into the city and rummaged through her bedroom for god knew what. If they could do that, she didn't doubt that somehow, someway, she'd end up trapped with them as well.

And without a way to save herself, it'd be over. Her spirits would be free if the contracts severed without her willing giving them up, but they wouldn't exactly know what became of her. It hurt her heart to even imagine abandoning them like that.

Blinking a couple times, she fought off the weariness in her body. She felt more like passing out than holding a conversation, but the moment she closed her eyes she would undoubtedly be assaulted by nightmares. She'd already set her mind to not allow her sleep tonight.

"We can look for a whip here in Magonlia," Freed reasoned, drawing her out of her dark thoughts and desire to sleep. "I could ask someone to go look for one or we can go to the store tomorrow and pick one out. If we go together there shouldn't be any danger. Obviously the Seis won't take any chances. They only seem to want to attack when they think you are vulnerable."

Her eyes widened a little, gripping onto the legs of her pajamas. "You'd go shopping with me for one? Even after today?"

"Of course," Freed replied, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Whatever will help you Lucy. I want you to feel safe. If the runes aren't enough then a method to defend yourself is certainly reasonable."

She let herself smile at that, Freed's words touching her. He didn't seem to think she was being unreasonable wanting to go out and get a weapon, he was even supporting it. She felt her spirits lift a hair, already imagining practicing with a whip again. At least it wasn't a close range weapon.

Glancing to his bedside table, she noted Freed's sword leaning there. Once she had the crazy idea of asking if she could sleep with that in her room, but ultimately decided it wouldn't really help her. Freed obviously used it as an extension of his magic, and she didn't have enough experience using one anyway for it to really matter.

"But I'm guessing the need for a weapon isn't why you're in here at two in the morning, right?"

Pulled from her thoughts, Lucy met his gaze again. "No. I… I told you. I thought about my apartment again."

"And I'm sure it made you think about more than just a whip."

She nodded, dragging her legs up on the bed to hug them. She felt half-awake these days, exhaustion always lingering over her head. She'd love to just go to sleep right there, but that might weird Freed out and she didn't want to overstep anything. "Uh… no. I – I felt like eyes could see me…. Everything I was doing…" her voice trailed off, eyes drooping shut.

Frowning, he leaned forward. "Were you doing something?"

His voice sounded far away, fading as she felt herself slipping into sleep. Freed's bed was comfortable, and he'd never let anything bad happen to her before.

" _Lucy?"_

Her shoulders sagged, Freed's voice sounding far away. She could just rest her eyes, let herself catch a few Z's for a few minutes. He wouldn't mind, right?

Freed said something else but she missed it, feeling her body lull itself into slumber. Her mind wandered, trying to think of something peaceful to keep her dreams serene. Lucy wanted to focus on Freed but it just wouldn't happen, her subconscious having other ideas, focusing on something she'd much rather forget.

" _Why don't you touch yourself, for me?"_

Lucy jumped, her body jerking awake as she recalled another part of her nightmares. Freed was still studying her, looking perplexed as she nearly leapt off the bed. She blinked, swallowing down the panic rising in her chest as she watched his confusion grow. She had no idea if he'd just said something or not.

Blinking, she tried to steady her breathing. Her cheeks grew red as she blushed, her mind immediately jumping to conclusions. Did Freed have some idea of what flashed through her mind? Maybe she'd given some sort of indication, and that's why he was staring so gard. She jerked up off the bed, her anxiety picking up.

He'd asked her enough times if someone touched her, he'd never really ventured to assume they wanted her to handle things herself. Her cheeks blazed, the memory not the most terrifying from her experience but definitely the most embarrassing and humiliating.

Would Freed judge if he found out what they asked?

"Lucy?" he asked again, his words slicing through the quiet, her uneven breathing the only other sound. "What are you doing?"

She tensed, wondering if her embarrassment showed on her face. This was something she never intended on sharing, with anyone. After all, the Seis just assumed she had a hand at herself before.

It was the only thing she hadn't shared with Cobra, the humiliation outweighing her desire to show him who his old friends really were.

" _Come on Angel, you've got to be kidding me. If she looks like that of course she knows how to play with herself."_

 _The white haired mage glared back, standing closer to Lucy's shaking form than the others. This was the first time since they'd captured her that she wasn't completely restrained, her bleeding knees digging into the ground. "Fuck off Rusty. It doesn't matter. That isn't part of the deal."_

" _I wanna know too," Racer interjected, looking towards Lucy's tembling face. "I'm sure she can perform fine, or we can always help."_

" _No!" she screamed, her voice scratchy from crying out when they beat her. "No. No no no. I-I don't need help."_

" _Come on the, blondie," Midnight muttered waving a hand as he turned away, "show them something good."_

She gasped, the memory and Freed's words mixing together in a confused blur in her head. Suddenly she was up, waving her arms frantically. She didn't want Freed getting the wrong impression of her. She didn't want him thinking she did that normally, not for an audience! "No! No, I – I don't do that!"

He blinked, looking thoroughly confused for a second. "Uh, do what?"

Lucy's blush intensified, wondering if he was just playing dumb. He'd asked what she did to herself, right? Her breath hitched, blinking back the sudden urge to cry. She didn't want Freed to think less of her. "I –I don't do anything – I don't touch– I –I-"

Freed seemed to finally catch onto what she was implying, the blush intensifying to cover her entire face by now as her fingers began to shake. He jumped up as well, quickly shaking his head. "I didn't mean _that_! I thought you meant you were crying or something! W-why would you even think I'm implying that!?"

She froze, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid and subconscious. Yeah, why would he think that? She replayed the conversation in her mind, trying to figure out where she went on. He asked what she'd been doing….

Oh, he hadn't implied that he meant to herself, but in general. She let her nerves trick her, fear taking over and making her slip up. Freed never hinted at anything before – other than asking rather persistently if the Seis ever violated her – and he hadn't so much as made a joke towards her about anything sexual.

Why would he bother? It wouldn't make sense.

 _But why_ , why did she let sleep deprivation get the best of her? Why the holy hell did she have to make everything so awkward? Now he'd put the pieces together, somehow. She was certain of it.

They stood in silence for several moments, the faintest pink tinging Freed's cheeks as well. He interrupted the quiet first, clearing his throat a couple times before speaking. "I would never invade your privacy asking something like _that._ Uh, even if you do something behind the door at night-"

Lucy groaned, covering her face in humiliation. She'd rather he interpret her actions more embarrassed than terrified. "Please don't."

"Well even if you _do_ , what you do with yourself really isn't any of my business. I wouldn't ask such a personal question."

She desperately wanted the ground to swallow her up right then. Why did she blurt that out? Why did she even let her mind go in that direction? After her experience with Rustyrose, and _especially_ after the surprise they found at her apartment, the last night she wanted to do was touch herself.

Lucy never wanted to in the first place. Her only saving grace was Angel, who reasoned that hurting her too much might just end up ruining the process. That was what led them to this alternative…

She felt dirty, both mentally and physically whenever she looked in the mirror. Not just dirty, but weak and defeated. Useless. Lucy knew she was letting herself sink towards depression but couldn't help it. Things just kept going from bad to worse, and now she'd gone to made things incredibly uncomfortable between herself and Freed.

And she needed Freed. She couldn't imagine handling things on her own, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to take the loss of his comfort if they were suddenly awkward around each other. Even if he seemed to sometimes think he wasn't doing a good job helping her, she couldn't process the idea of going through the rest of this alone.

"W-well thanks," she muttered, keeping her gaze low. She didn't want him to see the fear in her eyes. He wasn't pushing the topic, and she didn't think he really would, but there was always the faintest possibility. "Um… but don't worry. I don't do that."

"It's still not any of my business," he said, his voice an octave higher than before. "Really."

Lucy let the topic go, realizing he really didn't want to talk about this. Maybe the idea disgusted him, she wasn't sure. The thought definitely had her skin crawling, so she couldn't imagine how grossed out he had to be.

No one should want to touch her. She'd been humiliated and damaged enough times. The only people who took an interest in her seemed to be twisted in their own right, and Freed certainly wasn't on that list. It was probably better he found the whole topic revolting.

"Sorry," she whispered, liftiing her head up even as her hands shook. "I shouldn't have said anything like that."

He frowned, and she couldn't determine what that expression meant. "Lucy-"

"I – I'm just going to go to bed," she continued, moving towards the door. "I should've talked to you in the morning."

"You can talk to me whenever. I thought something else was bothering you?"

She shook her head quickly, already standing in the hall. "No, uh, nothing. It's nothing. Goodnight Freed."

Turning, she darted back into the safety of her room and slammed the door shut, nearly catching her hair in the process. Once inside she leaned against the wood, taking several deep breaths.

Well, that couldn't have gone any worse. He was going to think she was a freak now for assuming he was thinking about that, when he obviously wasn't.

She hated herself or thinking about it.

It was all so _humiliating_. She wasn't sure her self-esteem could take much more of this. Sinking down to the floor she hung her head, taking several deep breaths.

Her eyes flinted back to the windows again, taking in the darkness beyond. She definitely wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

* * *

Freed kept his hands in his pockets as they walked, just in case she got weirded out again. After the rather interesting debate they had last night he wasn't going to take any chances.

Lucy didn't want to think about anything sexual, even if it was the blonde herself who let her mind travel to the topic. He didn't understand why she'd gotten so embarrassed when _she_ brought it up, but he guessed it didn't matter. What Lucy did in her room, save for harming herself, was none of his damn business.

Too bad Freed had yet to convince himself of that. He'd been completely thrown when Lucy came in last night and told him her concerns, already brainstorming from that moment on a way to get her a whip immediately. But she hit him with a curve ball when she suddenly assumed he'd been insinuating that she was _touching_ herself before coming into the room.

Really, what the fuck was she going on about? Freed spent a lot of time with her, he knew she wasn't comfortable with herself or most anyone else. If she was actually doing that it might make him feel better; at least she'd still have a shred of normalcy in her life.

He nearly stopped walking at that thought, silently yelling at himself to stop focusing on it. He couldn't think about Lucy pleasuring herself, not in her current situation. He imagined she wouldn't be doing anything like that for quite a while.

And getting distracted by the mere idea had to be sacrilege. The girl was suffering! How dare he take an interest in how she may or may not make herself feel good?

Still, he wondered what made her mind travel that way. It seemed sort of random, nothing he'd preempted or even heard her cry about, so he wasn't sure where the topic even come from.

Unless that was actually what she was doing…

Shaking his head, he restrained himself from slamming his head into the nearest wall. Clearly something had to be messed up about him if he kept thinking about this.

"Freed?" Lucy asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. He blinked, glancing up to see that they had arrived at their destination.

This morning he made plans to take Lucy to the store to purchase a whip. Despite his arguments and her obvious hesitation, she refused to let someone else go out and purchase one on her behalf. She full heartedly believed that she needed to be the one to pick out the weapon. No one else could do that for her.

Freed did understand, to a degree. He never would've let anyone else pick out his sword. But after yesterday he hesitated taking her anywhere. The Seis could be nearby, and putting her in any situation that would ultimately lead to danger was just plain stupid.

"Oh," he grumbled, drawing himself out of his thoughts. "We're here?"

Lucy nodded, looking somewhat surprised that he hadn't realized. Usually Freed forced himself to be alert around Lucy, both to make her feel secure and to avoid a sudden surprise attack. The mere fact that he allowed himself to get distracted was enough to cause her to raise an eyebrow.

He would've been more concerned if he hadn't let some of the other guild members know they were going out. After yesterday they'd literally come to his house to kill him if he didn't let the others know she was no longer safely behind the runes. Really it was a testament to her bravery, but he didn't want to push her. They needed to remain cautious.

At least he had a lacrima handy in his home. It made going out today a little bit easier.

His eyes flitted around as they entered the store, taking in the not-so-hidden forms of his team off in another shop, staring obviously out the window. He wondered if Lucy even noticed them. Gajeel and Levy were more obvious, buying from a cart in the middle of the road. Panther Lily wasn't even masking his interest, staring at the pair until they were fully inside the shop.

Then there was Mira and Cana, who he knew were within eyesight if he really tried to look…

Maybe it was overkill, but Lucy had to realize she was loved. Hell, Gray and Erza walked with them into town, coming up with some sort of ridiculous excuse to go out of their way to Freed's and then walk back into town again.

He figured Lucy would be tired of it pretty quick. Once she had a new weapon to defend herself, maybe the others would lay off just a little. They were going to suffocate her with all their concerns.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't like the extra security around her. Clearly the Seis would do anything to mess with her, and there didn't seem to truly be any boundaries about what they would do. The more security the better.

Shaking his head, Freed tried to pay attention to the saleswoman talking to Lucy. They were going over various whips on one of the walls, the associate letting her hold several while she babbled. Seeing that she was okay for the moment Freed stepped away, giving her a few minutes alone without everyone staring.

She probably needed it. He knew she was in the store, and someone would have to barge in or break down a wall to reach her. There would be no sneaking. So at the moment he was sure leaving her be wouldn't be fatal.

Besides, he needed a few moments to himself. After their talk last night his mind went all over the place, and standing with Lucy for so long just had unwanted questions begging to slip off his tongue.

He refused to ask her what brought that topic up. Maybe Lucy did something to herself at night, but he seriously doubted it. He ran into her room enough times unannounced; if this was a regular occurance he probably would've encountered a much more uncomfortable scene than he normally did.

Despite his interest, he didn't really think she was touching herself at all, not for a long time anyway. That really only left one explanation, but thinking about it got his blood boiling all over again.

The Seis. He wished they would just show up so he had an opportunity to smack someone down. At this point he'd take any one of them if it meant he could let off some steam _and_ take care of Lucy's demons.

Rounding a corner he stopped, nearly running into Lucy. She stopped a pace or two in front of him, gripping the whip in front of her in a vice-like grip.

He found it kind of amusing that this one was green.

"Find one you liked?" he asked, nodding to the weapon. She nodded, a genuine smile dancing across her lips as she shyly held the whip out, like she was looking for some sort of approval.

Interested he reached forward, taking the whip out of her grip. Instead of ending in one long rope like he was used to this whip split into three separate strands, each as thick as his fingers. The tips were a little heavier than the rest of the weapon, a thin layer of metal secured at the ends. Running a finger over the edge, he noted that they hadn't bothered dulling the edges down.

Lifting his gaze he met her eyes, noting the way she dug her teeth into her lip again. She was going to have to stop doing that. "This will slice flesh when you hit an opponent. It'll hurt."

Lucy nodded, a coy smile dancing across her lips. "That's the point. The saleswoman recommended it for extra defense. She said it should cut through the skin of anything, save maybe a dragon."

Freed arched an eyebrow, finding the comparison interesting. So far as he knew none of the Seis were dragon slayers, so that shouldn't be a problem. "Did you pay?"

Shaking her head she took the whip back again, her fingers toying with the handle. "I wanted your opinion first."

"I think it's a great weapon Lucy. It's definitely not for beginners, but I've seen you use such a device before. It will suit you well."

"I thought so too," she whispered, staring fondly at it. "I… I want to try it out when we go home."

 _Home_. Freed pressed his lips together, wondering when she started addressing his home so casually. He got the impression that she was sometimes uncomfortable there, but maybe he was overthinking it.

"Yes," he agreed, clearing his throat, "that's a good idea. You need to get used to it. Every weapon handles different. It would be better to know how it works before you ever really need to use it."

Lucy nodded, seeming happy with the answer. "Let's go."

* * *

It didn't matter how to Lucy how awkward their day started out today, she considered this one of her better ones since being saved. She hadn't ventured out much with Freed except for the past few days, and she definitely hadn't stood in his yard with a weapon of any sort in her hands.

It felt empowering. She already felt a little bit safer with the coiled weapon in her grip, the dangerous tips cool against her leg as she readied herself.

Freed stood off to one side near his porch, giving her the space she craved. Lucy had no doubt he could probably deflect the weapon if he needed to, especially in her weakened state, but she would feel awful if she somehow hurt the man helping her. Instead she asked for a little space as she adjusted to the weight in her hands, testing the feel of it between her fingers as she jerked it behind her.

The whip gave off a satisfying snap as she threw it forward, the tough metal ends snapping loudly into the bark of the tree before her. The impact left three lines, not nearly as deep as she would hope, but better than she expected.

Lucy took a step back, her breathing heavy as she shot Freed a grin. He still looked funny sitting on his porch in nothing but that white shirt, but just then she didn't mind.

For the first time since being captured, she felt like she had control over what would happen to her again.

"Not bad," Freed called out, a grin slitting across his face. She could feel her shoulders shaking from the effort, her lack of food for the last nine days catching up. Even if food didn't always sound appealing, she was going to have to start eating again if she wanted to keep this up. One god damn lash and she was already winded.

She'd have to be a lot better if she wanted to stand a chance against them.

"I-I can do better," she admitted, allowing herself to slump forward, her hands coming to rest against her knees. She was breathing heavy, her irritation increasing as she felt more and more tired.

Seriously? Before this she could keep up with Natsu's frantic running for a couple minutes before getting winded, now she couldn't handle one lash before being out of breath? That wouldn't do; she wouldn't allow it.

Lucy kept herself fit, and she couldn't believe how tired she already was. The last nine days took more out of her than she thought. She needed to change that.

"I…" she panted, standing straight before she spoke again, "I'm going to keep practicing."

"You look tired," Freed argued, frowning. "Don't overexert yourself already."

Shaking her head, she felt a smile gently tugging at her lips. With her new whip in hand she was finally starting to feel alive again, a bit of her regular life falling into place much more. "I can't stop now. I feel… good."

Freed seemed to perk up at that, his eyes dancing with interest as he stood as well. Lucy rolled her shoulders back, her muscles already feeling stretched as she prepared to continue practicing with the whip away from the tree. She wanted the metal to be nice and sharp for when she really used it.

"I'll practice with you then," he mused, wandering over to her side. His sword still hung loosely from his belt, hands resting in his pockets. Lucy recalled the last time she'd seen him use the weapon, and all the poor trees he took down with it. "I could use the exercise."

Nodding, she felt the weight on her chest lift a little. Practicing together sounded great. She wanted to feel her muscles work at something, and this was a lot better than sitting inside wallowing in fear.

That wouldn't bring her spirits back. She needed to be the one to do it, and she couldn't start that without getting some of her strength back.

Lucy smiled, her eyes crinkling from the expression. She held out a hand, beckoning to the trees further away from his house. "Let's go."

 **A/n: I know it's taking some time, but Lucy will get her bounce back. I figured having a way to defend herself will be step one, and it helped ease the heaviness of the chapter. Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts! I'm getting more and more excited about the next chapters in the story.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Meredy… is coming here?"

Freed studied her reaction, knowing it was a tossup on how Lucy would react to the news. Erza stood at the front of his living room, her weight shifted to one side as she fidgeted, and Erza _never_ fidgeted.

If that wasn't a telling sign of her discomfort, Freed didn't know what would be.

"Only if you want her to," Erza replied, answering Lucy's question. In the last three days the blonde maiden had gotten a little better, using her whip almost too often throughout the day to fill her endless time. Because of this she'd started eating a little more, though Freed wouldn't call it a healthy amount just yet. At least she was managing to eat more than once a day, and the serving sizes were closer to proper size. Now if only he could keep it that day.

Lucy hesitated, glancing between the pair. Erza came alone today, something she hadn't done since she started staying at Freed's home. He wasn't certain if it was by choice or if Grey finally caved and joined one of the search parties like Natsu.

"When?" she asked, looking between the pair. "How… how will Meredy help?"

"She's one of the few remaining members of the Seven Kin," Erza reasoned, clasping her hands together, "and she has a better understanding of Rustyrose than the rest of us. I asked if she knew why he would join up with the Seis, but she seemed absolutely baffled when I asked."

"Then how would she help?" Freed asked, arching an eyebrow. "You can't just ask her through the lacrima?"

Erza blushed. "Jellal is supposed to stop by for a day or two, and Meredy is coming along. If you aren't up to seeing her that's fine, we can more than handle asking her some questions. I want you to have the option though if you do want to speak with her; Meredy is not as intrusive as Cobra was."

Freed half expected Lucy to flinch at the dragon slayers name but she didn't, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. "Cobra wasn't intrusive. He pushed… I showed him what he asked for, even if it wasn't what he wanted."

Glancing at the scarlet haired woman, Freed knew she was just as doubtful as he was about that. It was no secret Cobra pushed Lucy beyond her means, delving into memories she didn't need to relive.

But he wasn't going to correct her, not if she was feeling bold enough to bring the subject up herself.

When Lucy didn't speak again Erza cleared her throat, turning to go. "Jellal and Meredy should arrive the day after tomorrow. Just let me know before then if you want to see her in person." Her expression softening, Erza's arms slowly fell to her sides. "Lucy, she knows you've been through an ordeal. She won't be upset if you don't want to see her. She's only trying to help us understand what Rustyrose's motives may have been."

Nodding, Lucy remained silent. Freed wondered if he made a judgment error letting Erza in, assuming after three good days that Lucy could handle seeing a close friend. She didn't speak again until after Erza said goodbye and left, turning slanted eyes in Freed's direction.

"Why do they all do that?" she asked quietly, her gaze remaining on the door. He sat forward on the sofa, his eyebrows drawing together.

"Do what?"

"Look at me like that!" she cried, her voice rising. "I – I'm trying to get better! Why does everyone look like… why does everyone think I'm still broken?"

Freed paused at her words, surprised by the outburst. Lucy didn't usually raise her voice unless she was terrified, and he hadn't seen her outright scream in quite some time.

He hesitated, thinking back to how Lucy was just this morning, trying her damndest to strengthen herself again. When they spoke he'd been able to pick up on the anguish she was feeling, despite her improvements.

" _I need to get stronger," Lucy said, finally resting back against the porch after their short workout. He'd suggested going in twenty minutes before but she wouldn't have it, stretching herself as thin as she could in an effort to get stronger again._

 _She'd even tried to convince him to duel to work on her combat skills now that she didn't have any spirits to help her out, but he adamantly refused. Right now he wasn't sure it was a good idea to attack her, even if it would help her endurance. If she was still having such vivid nightmares it wouldn't help to start dueling and possible trigger a memory._

 _Or worse, cause her to become afraid of him._

" _We both know that takes time," he reminded, setting the sword down beside him. He'd been practicing beside her, refusing to fight with her. The trees nearest to the house showed the damage her whip left behind, the gashes satisfyingly deep. "It won't happen overnight."_

" _No," she grumbled, crossing her arms. They'd been resting for a few minutes now, her breathing returning to normal. She hadn't been as guarded that afternoon, her walls coming down a hair as she got the opportunity to exert some energy. "I-I guess not."_

 _Freed paused, turning towards her with a quirked eyebrow. "Don't do that."_

" _Do what?"_

" _Stutter," he answered, tilting his head. "You don't need to. Stuttering is a form of unease when you're afraid, but there's nothing to be afraid of right now. No one is going to hurt you here."_

" _You keep saying that," she whispered, her eyes shifting away from him. "But the moment I leave your house I leave the security of the runes. We've seen what happens when I go out. They were in my_ house. _They touched my things." Her eyes watered, clenching on the whip in her hands. "They took my letters… and destroyed them."_

" _I know they were important to you," he agreed, still in the dark about why those were so significant. "Gray brought some of your things by yesterday, including every piece of the letters he could find."_

 _Lucy nodded, but he could tell it didn't calm her down. "I need to be strong, Freed. Without my spirits I only have hand-to-hand options. I wish I had my other whip, but this one will do. I just… have to get stronger. I got winded after five minutes this morning. Five minutes! How will I manage to fight them?"_

 _Biting his tongue, Freed resisted the urge to fight that idea. He hadn't figured out how he might manage it, but if he could he wanted to keep her from fighting the Seis. If Rustyrose had ideas of his own for Lucy that would be problem enough; he wasn't certain having her there in the line of fire was a good idea._

 _He was also painfully aware that there was no way to keep her from doing so. She would go and fight for her friends, and he'd only be hurting her if he told her to stay. She deserved the right to face her demons._

 _He just didn't want her to have to._

"You're not broken," he replied, studying her face. Her chin had dropped down again, stray, sticky strands of hair clinging to her cheek. Absentmindedly he reached out and brushed them back, stilling when her head jerked up to meet his gaze. Swallowing, he continued, "They couldn't possibly break you."

"Don't lie," she whispered, feeling the tears pricking her eyes. "You saw me. You _know_ they broke me."

"But not your spirit," Freed countered, his fingers moving to rest gently against the side of her face, and she leaned into his touch. "Or your faith. Your connections with your friends are still strong. There's still time. You don't need to push this hard. You may have been badly abused, but you're not beaten, Lucy."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Yes I do," she cried, a tear dancing down her face. "I have to push! I – I can barely sleep, I see their faces when I close my eyes. I can't fight off the memories –"

Lucy cut herself off, and Freed found himself disappointed. Even though Cobra came over last week, there were still a lot of holes in Lucy's story that he didn't understand. She was keeping pieces of the puzzle to herself; something she was justified in doing, but it made it hard to determine what she was hiding. He wanted to help, but he didn't know what else to do without the missing pieces.

And when she came into his room and started talking about touching herself? The idea was so bizarre he still hadn't figured that one out, but he figured there had to be some underlying implications he was missing.

Tilting his head towards the house, he let his thumb rub against the skin of her cheek. "We should go in. We can make something for dinner soon, and you need to rest."

"But-"

"And we'll pick up again tomorrow," he continued, already getting up. "Come on, you really should eat something."

Lucy accepted his hand when he offered it, letting the green haired man pull her to her feet, her whip clenched tight in her hand. Only when they entered the house did her grip relax, her shoulders visibly dropping as she set the weapon aside in the living room.

Freed silently observed her, the way her demeanor immediately changed upon entering. If nothing else, he'd managed to make a sort of sanctuary here in his home for her. It made him feel better knowing he'd provided some sort of comfort.

* * *

When Freed awoke that night, it was to the sounds of screams once again, just as it had been every other night. He jerked awake in his bed, the door already open for both of their rooms. At some point she'd started leaving the door open so they could try talking until they passed out, and now it just made it an easy pathway for him to reach her quickly.

As he expected, she was soaked in sweat when he got in there, her hands fisted into the pillows above her. The same thing kept happening over the past few nights, her cries escalating the longer she was trapped in her nightmare.

Despite himself, Freed found his chest hurting at the sight. He'd always found it painful when Lucy was hurt in the past, but this was different. Lately he'd noticed he seemed to be suffering with her whenever she was _in_ pain.

"Lucy," he said, speaking a little louder than he normally would. He pressed one of his hands over her own, the muscles not easing up. "It's Freed. Come on, come back to me. It's another nightmare."

She twisted, lost in the dream. He had faith that Midnight couldn't penetrate his wards, and she should only be suffering at the hand of her memories. Shaking her shoulder, he tried again, "Lucy-"

"Please!" she screamed, causing his heart to clench. "Please! P-please don't… don't make me t-t-"

She dissolved into sobs again, but Freed's fingers froze their movements, his mind going blank for a moment. She hadn't said anything like that before. What was she hinting at?

His hand stiffened on her shoulder when she spoke again, "No… no! I can't I don't I – I don't touch-"

Freed's eyes widened as she spoke, giving her shoulder another firm shake as he called out her name, managing to dislodge her from the dream. Her eyes flew open in the dark, a scream ripping out of her throat at the same time.

"Shh," he said, attempting to brush her hair out of her face, "Lucy, Lucy it's okay. You're here with me, no one else is here. Remember?"

For a moment she didn't respond, her eyes dancing around the room as though she could pick out his lie. When her breathing began to even out she swallowed, managing to speak. "F-Freed."

Giving her a smile, he let go of her shoulder. "I told you I wouldn't let something else happen."

That sent Lucy over the edge, and as he expected she dissolved into tears, her cries echoing around the room. He shifted onto the bed, adjusting Lucy so she could lean against him and seek comfort if she wanted. She didn't object, throwing her arms around his shoulders to cry into his chest.

He let his hand trail up and down her back, hoping it would soothe her. "It's okay now," he said, keeping his voice low again now that she was awake. "It's okay, nothing-"

"T-they made me t-touch myself," she spit out, silencing Freed instantly. His hand clamped down on her back, fingers knotting into her shirt.

"What?" he asked, his voice more of a growl. She clung tighter to him, and he wondered if it was due to his voice or what she admitted. He couldn't believe his ears.

No _fucking_ way. The other day when she started going on a tangent –

He wanted to bang his head against something, or at the very least let her do it. She'd _joked_ with him about it, like this wasn't something that was traumatic for her. Hell, he hadn't even considered –

Freed loosened his hold on her back, afraid he might lose control if he dug into the sleepshirt too hard. Smoothing his hand down her back rigidly, he blinked. He could feel his magic building, begging for the release he couldn't – _wouldn't_ – give here.

"I-it was something t-they wanted," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the silent room. "They wanted t-to see."

"Lucy-"

"' _Show them something good'_. That's what Midnight said." She pulled back a hair, meeting his eyes in the dark. "I-I didn't. I d-didn't show t-them anything good."

Controlling his breathing, Freed reminded himself to not go off on her. He needed to take a step back before it got any worse. "You didn't have to," he growled, thinking of how frightened she must've been.

That's what she kept from him the other day? He'd assumed if something happened it would involve those monsters touching her, but he hadn't considered the idea that it was just as dehumanizing to make Lucy an active participant.

"You don't have to tell me," he said quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Really. You can tell me as little or as much as you need to."

Only, if she told him too much, he'd fly off the handle.

She pursed her lips, eyes shifting away. She was still shaking in his grip, her fear magnified by the tremor in her hands. "I-it was Rusty's idea but they all agreed."

That wasn't as surprising as it should've been. Considering what else he'd seen and heard about the Arc of Embodiment mage, Freed knew he took whatever he wanted and didn't care. Clearly Lucy fit into that category.

She sputtered, one hand coming to clench the front of his shirt. He realized she was coming unhinged, sharing things she may not be ready to but were tumbling out anyway. "They watched, Rusty and Racer. Midnight did after the first day."

Freed's grip on her tightened, disturbed by the sudden calm of her voice.

"T-they laughed at first," she continued, her cheeks dampening once more. "B-because I didn't know how to do it." Shaking, the hand holding the front of his shirt tightened. "R-Rusty grabbed my hand and s-showed me."

That settled it.

Prying her hand off of his shirt he kissed the knuckles, willing himself to step away from her. He needed space for a second or he might accidently hurt her. He had to do something.

He knew the Seis messed with her, destroyed her psyche. He hadn't realized they took some _innocent_ from her, rape or not. If she hadn't touched herself before, there was no reason for someone else to step in and – and –

He lost it, spinning away from Lucy and towards the window. Holding out his hand, he felt the magic within surging forward, unable to hold back any longer. He'd prefer a target, but if this allowed some of his pent up anger to dissipate he'd take it. "Dark Écriture: Darkness Shadow."

Freed watched, with no amount of satisfaction, as the window blew out and the tornado-like storm of his magic brewed at the outskirts of his property, successfully destroying a large section of trees in the distance.

It did not to curb his anguish for the girl behind him, but at least it scratched at the overwhelming power ebbing up inside. He'd have to do something more consistent than that, but it was a start.

When he turned back he expected to find Lucy in a mixture or horror and tears, but instead she was only crying. She appeared no more upset than a moment ago when he stepped away, like his sudden loss of control had no effect on her.

Her eyes met his, and she picked up like nothing happened. "H-he said I got a little better."

Freed's eyes widened, ignoring the breeze now entering through the gaping window. Approaching her again he fell on his knees beside the bed, grasping both her hands. "It doesn't matter _what_ he said Lucy, it should never have happened."

Her lip trembled. "Do you still think I'm not broken?"

He scowled, reaching out to push her hair back again. The wind somewhat deterred that, but it did nothing to stop him from repeating the action. "As I told you before, nothing they did broke you. Even that."

"I-I'm being a baby about it," she whispered, looking away, "I… they didn't really touch me-"

"It doesn't matter," Freed seethed, his tone lowering. "It doesn't fucking matter Lucy. If they did anything to you without your permission it's not your fault, do you understand me?"

She pressed her lips together, refusing to say anything else. When she didn't speak again he sighed, glancing around. Giving her a minute wouldn't hurt and besides, he needed to figure out what to do with the gaping hole in the wall. She'd get cold in here.

"We should go downstairs to sleep," he said, barely controlling his tone. He didn't want to upset her again. "Give me a second-"

"I-if you're worried about me being cold," she said, interrupting him, "we… we could s-sleep in your room… if you wanted."

He stared at her, unable to figure out what to say first. With a suggestion like that she had to be basing it off of the triggered feelings the memory had to bring back. "I'm not going to make you sleep in my room, Lucy."

"I'm offering," she whispered, glancing at the hole in the wall. "I-I'll be safe in there tonight. You… you wouldn't hurt me. You won't make me do those things."

Freed felt his heart melt at her words, surprised she had so much belief in him. "If you're sure. We can change the plan anytime, I promise."

Lucy nodded, slowly getting up out of the bed. Freed focused on the wall, making sure to encrypt the gaping space tenfold just in case someone was watching. Ignoring the issue and giving someone the chance to break through the hole would be foolish. He wouldn't risk it.

When he turned back Lucy was gone. Glancing around he noticed her inside his bedroom, staring uncertainly at the bed. She had turned on his light since entering, rubbing her arm uncertainly.

Taking a deep breath he joined her in the room, wondering how badly this idea could blow up in his face. He stood beside her for a couple moments before speaking. "I'll sleep on top of the blankets, and I'll be on this side since its closest to the window."

She nodded absentmindedly, taking no notice of him. All the times they'd spent talking in the night they'd never been bold enough to sleep in the same space, on the same bed. Freed refused to offer, just in case. Now he didn't know what to do.

Silently Lucy sank into the bed, her body rigid as she sat down. Her fingers managed to grasp the top of the covers, pulling them tight over herself as she laid down like a board. She didn't look at him, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Biting his lip, Freed remained where he was. "We don't have to sleep in here. I'm sorry I blew out the window-"

Lucy silenced him, turning her head as she reached towards him. "Please… I want to be in here. You won't hurt me."

Giving him, he slipped in beside her, watching somewhat amused when she tried to tug the blankets out from under him. "Lucy-"

"I know you won't do anything," she continued, her actions never ceasing. "Sleep like normal. Please. Pretend like… like this is normal."

Freed sighed, getting up once more to readjust the covers. When he slipped back in and got comfortable she surprised him again, shifting closer so she was pressed into his side.

He kept his hands where they were, unsure what exactly she wanted. Whatever Lucy felt comfortable with was what mattered, but they hadn't gotten this physically close before sleeping, and anything he did could trigger something for her.

"Freed," she said quietly, one hand coming to grasp the fabric over his stomach, "please… just hold me."

He didn't have to be told twice, accustomed to how to do that at least. She fit easily into his hold, her head pressed into his shoulder. He could feel her softly crying, but she wasn't shaking anymore, and the stutter was all but gone.

"Whatever you need," he whispered, resting his head back into the pillows. "I'll be here."

* * *

She blinked, slowly coming back into awareness. The harsh rays of afternoon light drifted in through the window, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When she did she noticed the stock of green hair to one side of her vision, and slowly tilted her head up.

Freed. Of course he was still asleep. She'd interrupted his sleep pattern again, and no doubt he would remain passed out unless she woke him. But he could stay asleep a while longer. He deserved it.

Besides, she knew she remained asleep for the rest of last night, something she'd rarely been able to achieve. Maybe cuddling up to him was overkill, but it let her mind rest peacefully. No matter what, she knew Freed wouldn't let any harm come to her.

And sleeping in his arms was surprisingly soothing. He'd even stroked her hair last night while she drifted off, something she wasn't sure he was even conscious of doing. Whatever the reason, she wasn't going to argue.

It actually felt… nice.

She tried to cuddle closer to him but was interrupted by a buzzing, glancing over the sleeping man to spy a lacrima going off on the bedside table. Freed received plenty of messages throughout the day on it, most of them pertaining to her.

It couldn't hurt for her to answer, especially with the likelihood of it being about her. Reaching across Freed she did her best not to wake him, scooting back to the other side of the bed as the lacrima buzzed. She wasn't entirely sure how it would go if someone saw them sharing a bed.

Lucy cleared her throat when she answered, hoping she didn't look too appalling. "Hello?"

"Lucy!" the white haired mage squealed, startling her. She nearly dropped the lacrima, waking up Freed in the process. He bolted up, almost causing her to drop it a second time.

"Lucy?"

Freed gave her a look as she adjusted the lacrima again, smiling down at the bubbly girl. "Yukino, hi! I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"I should've gotten ahold of you sooner," the celestial mage agreed, her smile breaking. "If I had known… oh god Lucy, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay," she interrupted, hoping to avoid thinking about her experience yet again. Freed rubbed the sleep from his eyes before leaning closer, letting Yukino know someone else was there. "Really, people have to stop feeling bad. It's no one else's fault."

Yukino blinked, looking between the pair curiously. "You must be Freed. Natsu said Lucy was with you."

"You've seen Natsu?" she gasped, gripping the lacrima tighter.

"Salamander stopped by early this morning saying Yukino needed to talk to her spirits," a voice said, carrying over the message. A moment later the white haired girl was surrounded by the twin dragon slayers, who were curiously looking at the duo. Sting arched an eyebrow when he continued, "he said it was extremely important."

 _Spirits._

Lucy's grasp on the lacrima tightened until her knuckles were nearly white, and Freed ended up gently sliding it out of her grip. The trio on the other side watched silently, like they were prepared to witness the interaction.

Her mouth felt dry when she finally spoke. "Did you talk to them?"

"Yes, Libra and Pisces spoke with the others," she agreed, and Lucy's shoulders sagged in relief. For the first time in twelve days since Freed found her she had actual news on her friends. "They aren't hurt Lucy; they are safe."

She sagged in relief, her eyes pricking with joyful tears. "Oh thank god."

"But their confused," Yukino went on, frowning. "Loke wanted to come out and speak with me, but Natsu said any interaction with our world might be dangerous. Why do they need to remain in the spirit world?"

Lucy's eyes widened a little. Natsu was really listening if he picked up on that, and he'd taken initiative to go off on his own and seek out one of the only other celestial mages they knew. "I-it's hard to explain-"

"Natsu kind of explained it," Rogue interrupted, shrugging. "Yukino sent Libra to tell your friends to not exit their keys for any reason, and to tell them you're working on getting them back."

Her lip trembled, surprised how much Natsu managed to handle. With the way he was the last time they talked, she assumed he'd gone to kill Midnight and the others himself. At least now she knew that her friends wouldn't do something irrational and try to help her. "C-could Libra send another message?"

Yukino brightened, nodding her head vigorously. "Of course! Natsu told us who to call in case you wanted to do something like that."

"Tell them I'm safe," she whispered, thinking back to the last time she'd seen her spirits. They knew she was being tortured, her magic repressed. They had to be worried.

"Natsu said something like that, but I knew you'd want to tell them," she agreed, giving the pair a bright smile. "Libra said they are all pretty torn up about whatever happened, but so long as you're with your guild you're safe."

Lucy nodded, looking towards Freed. "Yeah."

Clearing his throat, he spoke for the first time. "Libra wouldn't be able to ask where they are, would she? They don't happen to know anything about that?"

"She tried that," Sting replied, glancing away. "They didn't know. They were going to try to figure it out and if they found out something they are supposed to let Yukino and Libra know."

"If I find out anything else I'll be in contact," Yukino agreed, smiling again. "I know how to reach you now, and I have no problem communicating between you and your spirits, Lucy."

Blinking, she felt the beginning of her tears. They slipped past her eyelids, leaving little trails down her cheeks. On the lacrima screen she watched three sets of eyes following their path, the trio barely aware of what actually happened. From the way they were acting, there was no way they could know everything.

Natsu wouldn't tell them about all her demons, no matter how he felt.

Her hands clasped together, glad that Freed was now holding the device. "L-let them know I love them, and I miss them all! I'm going to find them. We'll be together again soon."

Yukino smiled, sharing a knowing look between herself, Sting, and Rogue. "Of course."

"If there's anything else Sabertooth can do let us know," Rogue continued. "Sting is the master now; it shouldn't be hard to convince him to help."

"Thank you," she said quietly, watching the trio on the screen. Maybe she should've called Yukino herself earlier, but the fear of what she might learn was too overpowering. If her spirits were okay, just confused and angry, then the Seis's plans had failed thus far, and they still had time. "Thank you for checking on them."

"Anytime," Yukino replied, looking between the pair. "Take care, Lucy."

The screen faded, and so did the three Sabers. Once the screen went black Freed set it aside, focusing on Lucy. She didn't give him time to question her, turning her watery eyes towards his. "They are okay. They couldn't lie to another spirit, and Libra wouldn't lie to Yukino."

Freed gave her a smile, setting aside the lacrima. "They aren't in any danger because they are smart enough to know something's wrong. If she told them you are safe they will feel less compelled to open their gates and search for you."

Lucy's smile widened, feeling real joy for the first time in over two weeks. "Their plan is failing; they don't have what they need."

"And they won't," he agreed, absentmindedly brushing back her hair. Lucy found herself leaning into the touch, finding comfort from the gesture. "They won't ever be able to torture you again, and it's the only method they had to sever the contracts."

"I need to find them," she continued, feeling rejuvenated. From the expression on Freed's face she could tell that was not what he meant. "I can still save them!"

He caught her arm when she tried hopping out of bed, successfully pulling her down beside him once more. " _We_ will save them, all of us. You won't do this alone."

Lucy huffed, hopping up once more. She wrapped her hands around Freed's forearms, dragging him up with her. "I know that. But I need to practice! I feel better knowing they are safe, but it only fuels me. I have to get strong Freed; I have to save them."

Smirking, he crossed his arms. "I wasn't saying you wouldn't."

She nodded, turning to drag him towards the hall despite the fact that they were still wearing pajamas. "Come on then, we have to practice!"

 **A/n: Hello, hello! I know it's almost been two months… I got stuck on how I wanted to proceed with this story. I knew what I wanted to write but everything sucked, so I held off on updating. But here we are and hopefully it makes up for the delay! Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts!**

 **Also, I want to let all of my readers know I have officially signed with a self-publishing company to help produce my first original novel, which I'm hoping to publish in June 2019 (tentatively). So if you're interested please keep me in mind! My understanding is the book should be available worldwide, so I will be delegating a lot more time to that than anything else. If you're interested in seeing my original work stay tuned and I will keep everyone informed! Until next time.**


	12. Chapter 12

That night, sitting on the bed in the spare bedroom, Lucy found herself lonely. She felt better after exercising with Freed that afternoon, but night brought about the same fears it always did. Nervously hugging her pillow Lucy prepared to endure her nightmares again.

Except…

Her eyes skimmed towards Freed's room, the light still on as he prepared for bed. Last night she got more blissful sleep than she had in two weeks, and giving that up hurt her heart. All she wanted to do was not endure the nightmares every time she closed her eyes.

But that wouldn't happen, not alone in this room. Her legs wanted her to get up and go see Freed, but her heart told her to stay put. Sleeping in Freed's room last night had to be a onetime deal.

He was doing enough; she didn't need to invade the last shred of solitude he had in his own home.

Curling her toes into the comforter, she bit her lip. Even asking Freed would be a step in the wrong direction. After what she'd admitted last night, why would he even humor the idea? He had to be disgusted with her, just like she was with herself.

Still, the idea was tempting. She'd give almost anything for that kind of sleep again.

"Goodnight Lucy," Freed called from his room, waving before reaching for the lights. He didn't tell her to sleep well; he never did. He hesitated a moment at his door, seeming like he wanted to say something else but didn't. As he turned away, she felt her heart clench.

She didn't want to be alone again, even if she'd slept alone most nights since her rescue. Before now someone was always with her, either her spirits or Natsu and Happy. Even her team became common bedside friends.

Sleeping alone… she'd never get used to do that.

Staring into Freed's dark doorway, she could feel the walls beginning to close in around her. Even if he judged her… even if deep down he found her disgusting, she'd rather feel that than the settling fear as she faced another night of failed attempts to sleep.

Before she could overthink it anymore Lucy hopped up from the bed, dropping her pillow in the process as she hurried across the dark space, her feet padding softly against the floor as she ran into Freed's room and over to the bed.

He clearly hadn't fallen asleep yet, eyes flying open in the dark as she darted in, sitting up on high alert as she approached. "Lu-"

She didn't let him finish, barreling into the vacant side of the bed before he got the chance. She pressed her face into the sheets, feeling a wave of calm wash over her as Freed's scent overtook her senses, the comfort she felt last night returning anew.

When Freed touched her shoulder, she didn't even flinch in the dark. "Lucy?"

"Sorry," she sighed, remaining as she was, her voice muffled. "I just… I don't want to sleep in there."

"Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, hugging the pillow as she rolled over to face him. In the dark she could make out his silhouette, her eyes adjusting slowly to the dark. "No… not exactly."

He hesitated before speaking, and she wondered if he was putting the pieces together. He was intuitive like that. "Is this about yesterday?"

"I liked sleeping in here," she said in a rush, feeling her nerves stand on end. She'd rather focus on the positive side instead of the negative memories she shared with him. It wasn't just about the bad memories, but the fact that he hadn't shoved her away.

"You did?"

Lucy nodded, her head bobbing against the pillow. "I felt… safe."

Even though it was dark, she thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his face. "I'm glad I make you feel safe."

For some reason, that sent a comfortable wave of warmth through her. He sounded sincere, like he was actually pleased that she felt safe with him. Feeling bold she reached down, dragging the sheets and blanket up over her body until she was covered to her chin. Keeping the extra pillow cuddled to her side for comfort, she rolled over and faced Freed.

"I know I'm imposing," she said quietly, her heartbeat quickening as she prepared for his rejection, "but I feel so much better in here. I just, just for tonight-"

Freed shushed her, gently placing a hand on her forehead. She stilled beneath his touch, sitting on edge while waiting for him to kick her out. "Lucy, I told you before, whatever you need. I never said you couldn't sleep in here."

And just like that, she slumped down into his mattress, reveling at the comfort it provided. Freed's hand remained where it was another moment before pulling away but it didn't matter, Lucy's mind already drifting off…

* * *

The following morning, Freed woke to the sound of someone triggering the alarms around his home. He bolted up in bed, already feeling his magic beginning to surge through him. Sudden jump start or not, he was on high alert.

Glancing at Lucy, he was surprised to find her still passed out. Obviously she was sleeping well, even the trigger of the wards doing nothing to jolt her awake. Deciding he'd rather leave her there in a protected place anyway Freed disentangled himself from the sheets, sliding Lucy as gently as he could off of his arm and back onto the mattress.

At some point last night she'd cuddled up to his side again, and half-awake Freed hadn't thought anything of it when he slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. If it didn't scare her he wasn't going to argue, feeling content to have her so close.

She trusted him, and he wasn't going to ruin that.

Getting out of the bed he grabbed his sword, forgoing shoes and a shirt as his mind kicked into battle mode, intent on seeing who exactly dared to come this close to the house.

It wasn't a member of Fairy Tail, that much he was certain. The wards weren't set to trigger unless an outside source tried to enter uninvited, and he was certain Jellal and Meredy would never be foolish enough to come to the house unannounced.

Taking the stairs two at a time he found himself downstairs, eyes flashing as he peered out each of the open windows, curtains still pulled back from the night prior. Freed could feel pressure building behind his eye, the suppressed magic begging anyone to be foolish enough to come to the house. Even if it was the remaining Seis _and_ Rustrose, he'd take the challenge all by himself.

Anything to protect her. He didn't believe this was a coincidence.

Giving up on finding anything through the windows, he headed to the door, feeling the charge of energy in his fingertips. He almost wanted someone to be snooping around outside so he had a reason to take it out on someone.

Hopefully someone deserving. Almost going after Cobra wasn't good enough before. He wasn't a means to an end, and no matter what memories surfaced they weren't Cobra's fault.

The moment he stepped out onto the porch, he could sense the person prowling around. Given that he'd only ever met one member of the Oracion Seis prior, and he'd dueled Rustyrose just once, he wasn't entirely sure who he was looking for.

It didn't matter. Someone was there, he could sense them scouting out the far side of his house, the side Lucy was on. Without missing a beat he took off, wondering why they waited until he was outside to return to the wards and alert him.

Maybe it was a trap, but he couldn't focus on that. If he didn't act now there were too many possibilities of "what ifs" that might happen, and Freed wasn't in the mood to chance any of them.

Nearing the opposite side of his house Freed slowed his steps, quieting his breathing. Ears perked, he listened for any sound of movement.

Half a second later, some sort of colorful blur sped past him, knocking Freed on his ass.

He grunted when he fell, sensing the return of whoever that was, twisting on the ground to swipe with his sword. It wasn't the attack he'd prefer to deliver, but it did succeed in nicking whoever was rushing around, sending their speedy dash into a graceless tumble as the assailant toppled mid run.

Jumping up, for a split second he thought it might be Jet but discarded the thought. The wards wouldn't have triggered if it was Jet, and he'd be much more familiar with Freed's attacks.

Even if that wasn't his real attack. He didn't miss a beat, aware that the attacker seemed to use primarily speed to get the upper hand. He bolted before the man got up, obviously surprised that he'd managed to knock him off his feet so easily.

Deciding he couldn't waste time, Freed used teleportation to arrive at the assailant's side. He had no idea who he was facing exactly, not recognizing the weird sleek black suit, the blond hair, or the stupid looking chin guard.

A chin guard. What the hell was that supposed to do?

Freed saw the panic in his eyes when he rematerialized, obviously not expecting a spell like that. The man began to blur again, not saying anything before he tried to take off. Lifting his blade, Freed made sure he couldn't run, the magic coursing behind his eye almost painful. "Dark Ecriture: pain."

The spell almost missed, catching the side of the man before he could bolt. Collapsing to his knees Freed heard him gasp, the magic taking its toll.

Rolling his shoulders back, he approached the attacker. Freed felt the tension in his body beginning to ease; no matter how angry he was he needed this release, and both his magic and his body could feel the exertion beginning. Rounding on the man he kneeled in front of him, ignoring the painful withering of his form.

"Who the hell are you?"

Despite gasping on the floor, the weirdly dressed man managed to roll over and glare at Freed. For the first time he realized he was wearing glasses, masking the volumes of pain he had to be feeling.

He grinned up at Freed, his lips curling into a sneer. "A-ask your friend upstairs."

His temper flared, hating the way he took some sort of pleasure bringing up Lucy. Dropping his hand down to the man's twitching head he applied pressure, his eyes flaring. "Pain."

Renewed, the spell took its toll a second time, and Freed didn't feel pity when the man let out a scream. He obviously knew Lucy was there somehow, and the idea didn't sit well in Freed's stomach.

Standing, he put some distance between them. If he let his anger take over he wouldn't find out anything. From what he'd seen this man wasn't Midnight; his magic seemed to have nothing to do with what Lucy had described.

That didn't mean he wasn't involved.

"Who are you?" he sneered again, his voice rising. "What the fuck are you doing at my home?"

Snapping his fingers, he watched one of the sets of runes disperse, giving the man beneath a moment to breath. Beating someone only worked if they could talk, and Freed was going to get everything he could out of this man.

Gasping, it took several moments before he tried saying anything. "F… fuck you man."

That did it, sending Freed into a rage. He was tired of playing games with people who wanted to mess around and put Lucy in danger.

If he wanted to be an asshole, Freed would be one right back.

Losing his temper, he grabbed the other man, feeling him jerk in his grip despite the rune. He didn't hesitate, bringing his sword down on the man's shoulder, smirking when it sank in through the muscle until it hit bone, the force behind his attack not strong enough to push through.

He screamed, jerking free to gasp on the ground. Freed rarely used his sword for its true purpose, but there was something satisfying about drawing blood with the blade.

He wasn't finished, remembering all the wretched things Lucy told him had happened to her. Drawing back his blade, he spoke again, "Dark Ecriture: fear. Suffering!"

The man withered again, and Freed found himself frustrated that he wasn't getting any answers. He was messing around, wasting time when he should be answering for what he'd done! There were zero doubts in Freed's mind that he was involved, but just who he was eluded him. Scrambling through his mind, he tried to place a name to the figure before him.

Zoning out the screams of the man, he listened for anything out of the ordinary. There was always a chance this was a trap and someone was inside attempting to take Lucy, but he would've heard the alarms. It didn't matter if one person activated the barrier; each time it was triggered the same alerts would go off, and he would know by now if someone was there.

This man was alone, but for what purpose Freed didn't know. Watching for a few more moments he let the man suffer, reminding himself that he needed him conscious to answer his questions. When he was satisfied Freed swept his sword over the bleeding mage, removing the pain and suffering runes, but letting the fear rune remain.

Bending forward, he sneered down at the man on the ground. "Try again."

He was more durable than Freed assumed, lunging forward even though he still fought the fear rune. He crashed into Freed, catching him off guard, managing to catch him in the side of his face with his fist moments before Freed retaliated, letting the assailant see the magic growing behind his eye.

Spinning, Freed ducked out of the punch, grabbing the man's hair when he couldn't find another hold. "Wings!"

They shot upward, the man's brief surprise reflected behind his shades. Twisting his body in a blur he kicked upward, catching Freed in the chest this time. His fingers slipped out of his hair, dropping him nearly ten feet from the ground.

Freed growled when he took off away from the house, shooting after the blur through the sky. He sneered, unable to believe he was letting this buffoon one-up him.

He was just so god-damn angry.

Not entirely sure that the situation actually warranted the excess power, Freed couldn't help himself as he pursued the attacker. Feeling his body morphing, he let the magic take over both of his eyes. "Dark Ecriture: Darkness."

He'd teach this man what happened when he dared to hurt Lucy.

Shooting out of the sky, he collided with the blur of a person on the ground, rolling as his body shifted. He briefly caught the surprise on his face when he realized Freed's body had changed before he struck the ground, Freed ending up on top and diving his newly formed talon's towards his scrawny throat.

He stopped, millimeters from gutting him. It took more restraint than he'd realized to stop, the need to bring justice to Lucy outweighing his moral compass. Instead he snatched the man's hair once more, using his added strength to slam his head back into the ground, the grass and dirt sinking lower on impact.

"Tell me who you are!"

It wasn't a question, and he didn't leave room for debate. Sputtering, the man gasped for breath before speaking. "Racer!"

Freed's eyes darkened, recalling the name from one of Lucy's stories. He was one of the Seis, one of the people who tortured her.

One of the people who hurt her. One of the men who watched her, taking pleasure in acts that brought her shame.

Seething he grabbed his neck, shaking the man before him. "You hurt her! You let them hurt her! You're the reason she's scared of _every little thing_!"

He jerked up, dragging Racer with him. He attempted to kick out at Freed but in this form, even his super speed movements had little effect. This wasn't a magic that could counteract his eye magic well.

Glaring at the bleeding man, he shook him as hard as he could, even while he squirmed. "Tell me where those bastards are!"

Racer gasped when Freed threw him, putting as much force behind it as he could. The man flew through the air before smashing into a tree with a sickening crunch. Freed didn't give him time to recover, eyes blazing as he approached. "Darkness: Breath."

The man flew backward further, Freed's whirlwind attack nearly blowing over the tree he'd been thrown into. Standing back he watched Racer tumble, the attack taking out the man still bound by a fear rune.

Only then did Freed pick up a sound by the house, whirling at the sound of racing footsteps. He braced himself, prepared to keep fighting until he got some answers.

Standing on the porch was Laxus, stopped a safe distance away that he wouldn't get in the middle of the fray. Lightning shot around his head lazily, like he found something amusing about the fight.

Knowing Laxus, he probably did. But he wasn't what made Freed hesitate.

Behind Laxus the door to the house opened, revealing Lucy in her nightclothes from yesterday. He wasn't sure how long she'd been watching but it was obvious she'd seen something, her skin ghost white as she stepped onto the porch.

Freed didn't move, a sense of dread settling into his stomach. Behind him he could hear Racer struggling to stand, and he knew he had a few more moments before the man became a bother again. But he couldn't make himself turn back, eyes focused only on Lucy.

She looked terrified, large saucer eyes glowing in the early morning light. For a moment he thought she was frightened of him before he realized her eyes were not trained on him but the man he'd been beating for the past ten minutes.

Even beaten, he still shot a wave of panic through the blonde. Without hesitating Freed spun around, the one spell he rarely used hanging on his tongue.

 _Death._

Instead he sighed, lifting his blade once again to cast the same, crippling spell. "Fear."

* * *

Hours later, Freed sat beside Lucy in the infirmary, her knees knocking nervously together as they waited for Makarov to invite them into Racer's interrogation.

To be honest, he figured things were going better than planned. For one thing Racer didn't put up much of a fight when Laxus finally pulled Freed off of him, the man bleeding from his inflicted wounds. In comparison the bruise on Freed's cheek, his cut lip and his sore ribs, his injuries were nothing.

And he felt somewhat satisfied, glad to beat up any of the Seis. Unfortunately there were two individuals who played a prime role in Lucy's torture, and neither seemed to be making an appearance.

They still didn't know what Racer's intent was showing up at Freed's house, but he clearly didn't know that setting off alarms would alert anyone that intruder was present. It seemed all his precautions were worth it.

All Freed cared about was that Lucy was okay, and no one got near her. Laxus made sure of it, reminding her to stay back even while Freed was in a vengeful frenzy earlier.

Glancing at her, he hesitated touching her. Lucy clung to him earlier when he'd morphed back to his regular self, but that was while she was racked with tears. Now he wasn't certain she'd want any contact with him, not when she saw the bloody mess he left Racer in.

Then again, it shouldn't be surprising. She was a wizard after all, and she'd seen plenty of similar situations before.

"You don't have to go in," he said finally, glancing her way. She'd come upstairs with him when Laxus demanded he cool off after dragging Racer to the guild hall, but Freed was pretty sure the only reason anyone made him go up there was to put distance between himself and Racer.

Putting him anywhere but Fairy Tail was absurd. There was no way he'd risk taking that man into his house and chance causing Lucy any unease. At the guild there were more than enough wizards to make sure that excuse for a mage didn't do anything stupid, and it was the most sensible place to interrogate someone without alerting the royal army of an attack – or worse, the council.

He felt better with so many people around. He'd definitely jump up if he had even an inkling that Racer escaped and might come after Lucy, but right now he wasn't concerned.

He'd gotten to beat him up already, and came out pretty okay. Now Racer was downstairs, facing the wrath of both his and Lucy's teams, not to mention everyone else.

Obviously Lucy's team got priority, and he figured if Racer could withstand the anger that radiated from Natsu, Gray, Erza and Wendy, then whatever determination he had left would ultimately be snuffed out by Laxus and the others.

When they finally went downstairs, he'd be surprised if the man was still left conscious.

Lucy ran her teeth over her lips, and he could tell that her nerves were on end. She hadn't said much since they brought Racer in, lost in whatever memories surfaced. "I… I want to."

Freed arched an eyebrow, surprised when she spoke. Despite his best efforts, she'd ignored most of his questions. Watching the soft shake of her hands, he couldn't quite believe her. "There's no pressure Lucy. The rest of us can ask Racer all the questions you need. You don't have to face him."

Her head snapped up, eyes shiny. "I have to face him. If I can't confront him, h-how will I face the others?"

Scowling, he wished this hadn't happened. It was rewarding to take out some of his aggression on Racer, but he'd much rather have Lucy content like she was last night when she raced into his bed, finding comfort in his presence. Now she was regressing, the fear rising up once more.

He hated it. Every time she made progress, something threw her back to square one.

"There's no pressure-" he began again.

"They have my friends!" she cried, her voice so quiet compared to the emotion behind it. "I have to talk to him. I have to find out what they are doing now. They could be hurting them! He hurt you!"

The air left Freed's lungs, stunned by her admission. Wendy already came through and dealt with the cosmetic damage, even easing the ache in his ribs. The damage was all but gone, nothing more than an angry memory now. "Lucy-"

"They will hurt more people if they get away with… whatever this is," she continued, her voice nothing more than a whisper. Reaching out she grasped his shirt, wrinkled from Freed's rushed movements to pick up one from the floor before rushing to the guild. "I can't watch anyone else get hurt!"

Shushing her gently, he smoothed his hand over hers, waiting until her knuckles finally relaxed and eased up on the death grip. His hand clutched hers when the tension left, holding it in place over his chest. "Racer didn't hurt me Lucy. If anything, I hurt him. You don't need to worry about me, or the others. We are all able to fight this demon on our own."

"But I need to fight him Freed," she replied, awkwardly rubbing her arm. Watching her body language, he saw her squeeze her legs together, her chin dropping like she was ashamed. "I have to start by facing someone, and I'd rather face Racer before Rusty or Midnight."

Deciding it wasn't a bad idea, Freed relented. No one would let Lucy anywhere near harm's way, not with the guild coiled so tight as distress seeped through the building. Everyone was on edge, and he had no doubt she was safe here among their friends.

"If he does anything, says _anything_ ," Freed stressed, shaking his head to dispel the anger, "I won't let you stand there. You don't have to take it."

"I can-"

"Lucy," he begged, dropping his voice. There were plenty of dragon slayers hanging around, and he didn't need any questions later if they overheard something. "I've already seen the damage dealing with the past did to you before. You don't have to endure anymore of it. If Racer makes you uncomfortable or fearful, then there's no reason to put yourself through it all again."

She shook her head, steeling herself against his words. Even though she was doing a decent job holding herself together, he could tell she was close to coming undone. Seeing Racer up close and personal might be enough to make her snap, and he feared what the confrontation would unleash.

But Freed wasn't a fool. There was a strong chance Racer would demand to see Lucy, something everyone would deny. He would pester until he got what he wanted, and he would almost certainly try to cripple her resolve if they came face to face.

He didn't want to give the fucker the chance, but if Lucy was that determined to fight her demons he'd only be hurting her healing if he denied her. She still had to make her own decisions and set her own boundaries, even if they made his stomach flip.

"Let me try," she said finally, meeting his gaze again. "That's all I want. A chance to show he didn't beat me."

And Freed's determination snapped, giving up. He couldn't deny her when she looked at him with those pitying eyes.

A knock on the door drew their attention, and a moment later Mira pushed it open to smile their way. He could tell it was a little strained, and he wondered briefly if the takeover mage had a hand at interrogating Racer too.

He'd been on the receiving end of Mira's attacks before. Certainly he would cripple if Mira came after him.

"They're ready," she said, eyes focused solely on Lucy. "I made Laxus and Bickslow help Erza get Gray and Natsu outside. They tried to take the whole building down."

"Is that a surprise?" he replied, standing up. Honestly, Natsu should count himself lucky that he came home late last night. Just yesterday morning Sabertooth reported him being at their guild the night before, and if he hadn't moved quickly he may have missed the confrontation. If anything was going to eat at him, missing the chance to beat up one of the Seis would certainly be his tipping point.

Laying into Racer definitely made Freed feel a little better, even if he had his eyes on another target. Still, he'd gotten the pleasure of beating him bloody, something he wasn't so sure the rest of the guild got to do.

Mira shrugged, gaze remaining on Lucy. She hesitated an extra moment or two before getting up as well, her hand automatically clasping his own. Freed felt surprise shoot through him, staring down at their intertwined fingers.

They'd never really held hands before, but she clearly needed it now. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, trying to ensure that it was going to be okay. He decided to forgo trying to talk her out of this, knowing she'd made her mind up the moment she stood.

One way or another she was going to confront Racer, and he'd rather be there to protect her than not.

Deciding to not say anything, Mira led the way. He thought that said a lot about the situation, given Mira's nosy nature. Lucy walked half a step in front of him as they left the infirmary and headed to one of the empty offices down below, the only place an interrogation could really be held in Fairy Tail.

The closer they got, the harder Lucy's hand shook. He gave her a few reassuring squeezes as they went, pausing behind Mira just outside the door so she could knock. The entire guild was behind them, speaking quietly as they waited to be allowed entry.

As they waited, Freed bent over and kissed her temple, smiling gently when Lucy blushed and turned to stare up at him. In that moment it didn't matter how far he wanted to drag her away from that room. "You've got this."

The door opened, revealing Laxus on the other side. Freed wasn't surprised to see his leader as they were ushered in, Mira giving them one final look before closing the door once more.

Glancing around, Freed noticed Makarov and Erza in the space as well. Evidently, once Gray and Natsu could be detained by their other friends, the pair returned to deal with Racer. Of all the people who were probably previously in this room, he decided the remaining were definitely the most sensible.

He almost wished Mira stayed, if only for Lucy's added comfort. As soon as they stepped in Racer had eyes for only her, Freed's hands resting tensely on her shoulders as she shook, her nerves from earlier amplified tenfold.

"I knew you were there," he said, speaking past his newly busted lip. His shoulder appeared mended, even if the blood remained. Freed could tell from the spotty job that Wendy played no part in healing him. Leaning forward on the table, Racer grinned. "Even knew which window you were behind."

Lucy flinched, Freed's earlier thoughts swirling back. There were two chairs set on this side of the room facing Racer, and as they stared Laxus moved around behind him to place two steading hands on the man's shoulders. There was no way he could get past everyone anyway, but the added security eased Lucy just a little, her shoulders relaxing no more than a fraction.

She cleared her throat, remaining where she was by the door. "You have m-my friends."

Racer grinned, any uncertainly vanishing. He'd gotten her to talk, just as Freed assumed he wanted, and it sated his ego. "We do."

Wetting her lips, Lucy spoke again, "W-where are they?"

The side of his lips tugged upward, and Freed knew the response would be bad before it ever came. "Give me another show, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know, darling."

Freed felt Lucy's composure snap before he saw it, her shoulders crunching inward to protect herself. He tugged her back behind him, watching the confusion on his other guild mates faces. Even Erza looked perplexed, and at one point in time she'd known these people.

These monsters.

As soon as the sob ripped from her throat Erza stepped forward, her concern clouded by confused anger. Freed's arm wrapped around Lucy's shoulders, feeling the hitch in her breathing.

"Never again," he seethed, hating the cocky look in Racer's eyes, like he knew he'd already gotten away with murder. Barely able to rip his eyes from the man, Freed spun around to face Lucy.

She was crying, and it broke his heart. He was supposed to be protecting her from these monsters. Without a word he reached past her to the door handle, unsurprised when Mira caught the frame on the other side.

Of course everyone was listening. At least two of the other three dragon slayers were waiting out there with bated breath, and it was no surprise that people could hear the distress in that room.

Freed didn't have to ask the barmaid as he gave Lucy a gentle push out the door, the frazzled blonde all put falling into Mira's gentle hold. He didn't wait to see the expression on hers or anyone else's faces, feeling the same unhinged anger returning from earlier.

A few words. That was all it took for Racer to burrow back under her skin and trigger the terrors she'd grown used to.

Slamming the door closed, he crossed the room in three long strides, sitting down in the chair across from Racer. He didn't look jovial anymore, his lips turned down into a frown. Letting some of his magic appear behind his eye again, Freed sneered at the man when he tried to lean away.

"Tell me, tell me where they are."

 **A/n: We finally got an explosive Freed! I didn't have him totally obliterate Racer here because I felt he'd have to use some restraint to get answers, and he'd want to save his big guns for later. Who do you think he hates more, Midnight or Rusty? Thanks for reading and please leave your thoughts! Somehow I managed to turn out another chapter in a week.**


	13. Chapter 13

Lucy let Erza and Mira guide her out of the room, her thoughts hanging suspended around her as the world moved past, her actions disjointed when the duo guided her to a bench on the opposite side of the hall and made her sit.

She barely acknowledged the pair of hands guiding her, her mind a million miles away on fractured memories. She knew ultimately her path would lead back to the Seis, back to the people who started this whole mess.

But she hadn't expected to see one of them so soon, even if it was evident that the group was hanging out nearby, probably watching the guild to see how people reacted and how much they got in the way.

Racer was cocky, but he was nothing like the others.

Her thoughts froze, hinging on Angel for a moment before skating over her, recalling that although she wasn't as tyrannical as the others she never helped Lucy either.

"Breathe," Erza said, cutting into Lucy's thoughts. She blinked, realizing her hands were still shaking, and she had been set on a bench with Mira nearby and a few other guild members watching.

Eyes scanning the scene, she realized most were adverting their gaze, but the room was nearly silent. Everyone was listening for the argument bound to begin behind the closed door, and Lucy would be lying if she didn't say she was interested herself.

She wanted to listen, but was afraid of what she might end up hearing.

Clenching her hands into her knees, she stared at the door. She should be panicking, losing her mind like she did when she slipped into her memories and had a flashback. This time it wasn't just a flashback, but a real life horror. Instead she felt frightened but not to the point of panic quite yet, her body jittery but unable to run from what she was facing.

Racer _knew_ where her friends were. He was the best chance she had of finding them and getting them back.

It didn't make her any calmer, but she felt an eerie sense of determination settling over her. Seeing him sent a jolt of fear coursing through her body, but it also brought about a new feeling too.

She had to know what he knew. And if she couldn't face him, she had to rely on Freed to do it.

Erza said something else, but she couldn't focus. Her eyes remained trained on the door, waiting to hear screaming. For two weeks she'd watched the hatred behind Freed's eyes grow, and she knew the anger was amplified and reflected in the eyes of each and every one of her guild mates.

Even if she couldn't face Racer, and seeing him made her heart beat erratically, someone in the guild could stand up to him. Someone, someone could find out where her friends were.

Her eyes swept over the guild, feeling a pang in her heart when she noticed Natsu and Gray's absence again. Of course they were outside, she already knew that. But not having them there by her side, even if they could be irrational, didn't feel right.

Lucy looked towards the door once more. Without a doubt, Freed, Laxus, and Makarov could handle Racer easy. She didn't feel comfortable having him so close, and looking into his eyes was a bit more than she could stomach right now, but she knew there was no way he was going to fight an entire guild. Right now, she was perfectly safe.

Pressing her lips together, she glanced at Erza sitting at her side, eyes downcast. She'd given up trying to talk to Lucy, acknowledging that she didn't want to chat. Feeling brave, she reached out and rested a hand atop Erza's, the redhead's neck immediately snapping up.

She gave her longtime friend a smile, feeling the weight of the last two weeks settle. It wasn't fair that she pushed her friends to the side while she came to terms with everything, not when they so desperately wanted to help. It was no one's fault that she took the easy job in Crocus and got caught. She thought she could handle it, and in the end she couldn't.

But it was no one's fault. No one made her take a job alone. And she had no reason to fear those who had been so close to her for so long.

"Thanks," she whispered, giving Erza's hand a soft squeeze.

Erza's eyes softened, squeezing Lucy's hand in return. Her shoulders slackened, the tension leaving her posture. "Of course. Whatever you need Lucy."

Wetting her lips, she glanced towards the door again. They could hear rising voices across the room, but she couldn't make out the words. "Maybe… maybe you should help them talk to Racer."

Her eyebrows shot up, surprise evident in her features. "Oh, I'm sure the others have it handled. I don't-"

"You should help," Lucy said again, hating how her voice sounded so soft. The last time she truly tried to speak to Erza it didn't end well, and she ended up panicking when Titania tried to hug her. It wasn't fair, and she knew if she didn't talk now before the panic set in again she wouldn't. "Freed… Freed's done so much for me. You should help him and Laxus and master. You…" she took a breath, feeling the lump in her throat. "You know more about my spirits than they do."

Her gaze softened, and Lucy knew she'd gotten through. Gray and Natsu might be too emotionally strung to be much help interrogating Racer right now, but Erza was much more level-headed than they were.

Besides, she'd seen the rage in Freed's eyes. He was going to snap at one point, and there would be no controlling or concealing it.

But it didn't need to happen with Racer. He was a jerk, and a creepy one at that, but she knew his true hate stemmed from Midnight and Rustyrose, who had yet to be discovered.

And for good reason.

"Please," she said again, glancing towards the front door. She smoothed her hands along her knees, ignoring the way they continuously shook. Being in the guild hall did give her a sense of comfort, but it didn't erase the panic still residing in her stomach. "Go help."

Erza frowned, glancing at Mira beside the blonde and back again. "You're sure?"

She nodded, standing up. Both S-class mages jumped up with her, and she couldn't fight down the pang of humiliation that coiled inside when she realized the two women didn't think she could handle even that. "Go help them… and make sure Freed doesn't kill Racer. I'm going to go o-outside."

The pair exchanged a glance. "Why?" Mira asked, remaining where she was.

Lucy sighed. "Because Natsu and Gray are out there… and I need to talk to them."

The takeover mage softened, nodding to Erza. "Okay, sure. Go on Erza. I'll take Lucy to them."

She hesitated just a moment, her obvious concern practically glowing in her eyes. "Okay. We could always go get them."

Forcing a smile, Lucy took a step towards the front as the voices behind the door rose once more. "No. I need some air."

Erza gave in, backing towards the other side of the room. "Okay." She smiled, bowing her head. "Natsu and Gray will be ecstatic that you want to talk."

Lucy nodded, forcing her legs to move towards the front. Mira followed a couple steps behind her, many of the guild members glancing up at her hurried escape. She tried not to meet anyone's gaze, feeling the same wave of shame washing over her as it had so many times before.

She just couldn't handle all of those _eyes_. Part of her wanted to panic, like the first time she went to the guild after Freed found her, but she couldn't do that. She'd been overcoming her fear, and if she digressed now she was afraid of how long it may take to get back to where she was now.

Lucy threw open the door, almost running outside to get fresh air. With Mira behind her she didn't feel like someone could attack them out of the blue, and if one of the Seis was hanging around then she expected to be attacked by now. Taking several deep breaths, her eyes sought her two best friends.

Unsurprisingly, they weren't too far off. Getting the pair to go away from the guild would be a feat in itself, and she half expected to find them standing behind a wall of guild mates facing off in a fight as per usual.

She stopped walking, surprised by the scene instead.

Juvia was sitting beside _Natsu_ for one thing, which really had her mind spinning. Gray and Cana were talking a few paces away, and off to the other side were Meredy and Jellal, who must've shown up at some point since their arrival.

For several moments, her feet simply didn't move any further. Everything seemed upside down and a little… confused.

"Cana's been comforting Gray," Mira supplied, standing beside her. "Which upset Juvia, of course. And Natsu's been upset, and when Gray and Cana started talking more Juvia spent more time with Natsu."

Lucy continued to stare, the briefest sense of normalcy passing through her mind. Leave it to Mira to know exactly why uncommon couples were suddenly spending time together. "Oh."

"It's good for them," she continued, her voice chipper. "They've all… coped together well." She nudged Lucy with her shoulder, and she found herself surprised that she didn't end up flinching. "Erza must not realize that Jellal is here yet."

Despite everything, Lucy cracked a real smile. At least some things never changed. "Probably not."

She tilted her head, urging the blonde forward. "Come on."

Walking into the group was a little like walking into a jigsaw puzzle, pieces that didn't seem to go together melding into one image. Gray and Cana seemed calmer than she would've thought, and Juvia was actually holding Natsu's hand when they arrived.

Natsu retracted immediately, racing forward to stop just in front of her. She'd gotten used to his odd behavior since the attack, and this was no exception. Any other time, he would've run in for a hug. "Lucy."

But not this time.

She nodded, smiling softly at the group. Even Jellal and Meredy acknowledged her, though they seemed fairly out of place. "Hey."

She felt her walls collapsing, everything breaking apart at once. They had a Seis member with them, and inevitably they would find out where the others were. Her friends were coping as best they could, and new things were happening in their lives that she wasn't privy to because she secluded herself in Freed's home.

Lucy missed her friends, all their quirks and their traits.

"Natsu," she said, the beginning of tears rising in her eyes. Her mind thought back to the call from Sabertooth, the extra step he took to try and give her some piece of mind about her spirits. Instead of trying to mumble out some gargled apology she stepped forward, barely catching the surprise in his eyes before she slammed herself into his chest for a hug.

This felt right.

Her shoulders shook when she cried, Natsu's arms coming to wrap around her too. She wanted to thank him but the words hung in her throat, soffocated by tears. For now, hugging her best friend was enough.

She could feel it, just in the way he clung to her. He needed to know that she wasn't angry or afraid of him, and even with reservations she couldn't fight off the inherit need to seek comfort from someone who met so much. Freed was busy, and as her main source of comfort she needed someone else to cling to in that moment.

Someone like her best friends.

At one point, she wasn't entirely sure when, she must've turned and embraced Gray too, as she found herself clinging to the two men she'd depended on the most throughout her time in Fairy Tail. Now though, someone else shouldered her pain, and he was presently trying to get answers on her behalf.

She should be in there helping him, but she couldn't pull herself back from the duo hugging her tight. She'd missed her friends, and the impossible fears she'd held onto since Freed found her melted away as she clung to them. The fight wasn't over, but she felt a renewed sense of hope as she cried with her friends.

For the first time since Freed found her, she was starting to feel hopeful.

* * *

Freed pinched the bridge of his nose, ignoring whatever interrogation Erza was using to try to get Racer to talk. He'd already been shot down _three times_ by Master Makarov (and once by Laxus) for his own ideas on how to get the Seis member to slip and reveal something. He was tired of playing games, and the room was disgustingly stuffy from all the pent up rage.

All they'd done was argue, and that was going nowhere fast.

He should've just beat him into the ground when they were at his house. He wasn't going to be granted the same liberties now, and Racer had shut his mouth the moment Lucy left. Without her, he apparently had nothing left to say aside from cutting remarks.

And it was really pissing Freed off.

They weren't getting anywhere. The more time they wasted trying to humor this bastard the more time the Seis had to enact whatever plan they had. Sending one of their own out was no mistake, though whether Racer was meant to be caught or not was still left to be seen.

All he wanted to know was where the other three were. He'd find them himself and take them out if he had to, but Racer had to talk to get that to happen.

"We're not going to get anywhere with him," Laxus muttered, doing nothing to calm Freed's anger. "He's not going to talk, and he hasn't since blonde – since _Lucy_ left."

Freed shot his leader a glare, surprised he slipped up even now. He'd done well calling Lucy by name only since they learned she had a phobia to the nickname. He half wished Bickslow and Evergreen were in there; at least the Seith mage usually sided with him.

"She's not coming back in," he snapped. "Period."

"No one said she is," Makarov reminded, glaring at the pair. "But asking questions to Racer this way isn't working. He feels no obligation to tell us anything about his teammates."

Freed sneered. "Well _if-_ "

"And if we stoop to the same level as them to get answers then we are no better," he continued, shaking his head. "Racer is here as a diversion at best. I'm sure the others are lying in wait."

His eyes widened, forgetting the Seis member for a moment. "Then why are we in-"

"I didn't kick Natsu and Gray out of the building for no damn reason," the master snapped, glaring at the three Fairy Tail members. Even Erza had stopped talking, her gaze focused solely on Makarov. "You must've realized that they would try to come back for Lucy. They've made their presence known several times now in town. And if we continue to shelter her, Lucy will not recover and be able to stand on her own again. You took her yourself to get a new whip, Freed. She is beginning to build her confidence up again. We cannot allow the Seis to hold her hostage with fear any longer."

Freed could feel his anger growing as his eyes shot back to Racer, glaring at the sneering man. "It was a trap."

"Three mages won't attack an entire guild," Makarov continued. "If the plan was to attack, they would've done so on your way here. Or they would've all come to your house to find her. You moved quickly with Lucy this morning, and such actions may have foiled their plans. Either way, he has not confirmed or denied anything since he got here. Racer's presence is meant to do nothing more than frighten her."

Clenching his teeth together, Freed refused to take his eyes off the man. "Then why do you think they would be preparing for an ambush?"

"We don't know that they are," Makarov continued, shrugging. "We can only assume such a risky move was a feeble attempt to capture Lucy once more. The Seis have never fought you before Freed, save for Angel. If Racer was sent ahead then there's no telling how he would interpret a fight with you. If he only needed to scope out her location, then he never would've hung around to be caught by you if he has such speed."

Freed looked away. Maybe there was some truth to these words. He was so intent on making sure _someone_ paid for all the hurt Lucy experienced that he never fathomed that the other members might be lurking in the shadows. It didn't calm his nerves, and he could feel his control slipping once more. "You think the others are nearby?"

"They may not have even come this way," Makarov reasoned. "But there's no way to know for sure. Natsu and Gray may have been able to get something out of him, but they do not know as much about what happened as you do. You can interrogate Racer better if you can keep your head. And you should have nothing to worry about with Natsu, Gray, and Mirajane outside with Lucy. No one would be able to fight a trio like that."

Erza frowned, her sudden sadness capturing Freed's attention. "Why wasn't I sent outside to protect Lucy too?"

His expression softened a hair, taking in his children before him, "Lucy is an intuitive girl. If I sent all three of her best friends outside she would know something was up. Besides Erza, you have a better head about you when it comes to these things. Of the three of you I believe you are the best suited to handle speaking with Racer."

Freed remained quiet, at a loss for words. For over a week now he'd had tunnel vision, solely focused on the girl who'd become a prominent part of his life in less than a month. It was surreal to witness how much could change in the course of less than twenty days, and he'd been so enamored with Lucy and her wellbeing he'd never thought to look at the bigger picture.

Makarov looked at this scenario as a chance to re-abduct Lucy. He hadn't given much thought to the Seis being so close by, figuring they valued self-preservation above all else and simply sent a spy to check in or abduct her.

But a plan to grab her in commute or at the house was a frightening reality. How did he know when exactly they were closing in, and when to be more worried than not?

In the past almost three weeks, he hadn't thought much about the Seis's methodology and reasoning. It was all over the place. From the way they treated Lucy up to the point they abandoned her it was hard to imagine that they so carelessly left her to die in a basement. There was a strange fixation that couldn't be explained, one that ran deeper than simply needing to break her to get to her spirits.

There was no reason for things to become more aggressive after they got her keys away. If it was only about severing contracts, then the sexual fixation and the abuse only served as a vise to sate their anger. Unless she held purpose outside of simply harboring the so-called vessels that they Seis needed to be free, then the additional attacks were overkill.

Breaking her morale and confidence had nothing to do with severing her contracts with her spirits. He'd been so focused on being angry, he hadn't given a lot of thought to the other things that happened to her.

 _Give me another show, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know, darling._

"Why did you choose to attack Lucy?" he asked, fighting to hold his composure. He hadn't been very level-headed since she left the room, and he knew if he was baited even once by Racer he'd never get anything out of him. The man's earlier jab was the beginning of his loss of control, and even if he wasn't a main player Racer saw and experienced enough of Lucy's torment to make Freed hate him. "There are other celestial mages you could've sought out to enact the same plans, even Angel. Why bother with her?"

Racer shrugged, and now that his goggles had been removed earlier Freed could see the amusement dancing in his eyes. Whatever could be so amusing about torturing another person wasn't entirely clear to him, but the prospect was becoming more appealing the longer he had to deal with him. "Wrong place, wrong time. Angel told us about the plan a few days before blondie ended up in Crocus."

Freed's heart almost stopped. Finally, after almost a half hour of no progress, they were getting somewhere.

Now if only Makarov would allow him to take matters into his own hands. By now he was almost certain that even with his hesitation Laxus wouldn't argue, and Erza would probably join.

"But why not use Angel?" Freed asked again, stepping closer. "Or Sabertooth. They are closer to Crocus than Fairy Tail is, and they have their own resident celestial mage."

"Freed," Laxus grumbled, his eyes narrowing, "what are you talking about?"

He chose to ignore the lightning mage, aware that per Lucy's request he hadn't given a lot of members of the guild all the grizzly details Cobra unearthed during his visit, and he certainly hadn't told anyone the disgusting things they'd had Lucy do while they held her captive.

Not everyone knew about the plan the Seis had for her keys, and it was too long of a story to delve into right now.

He wanted to know, even more than he wanted to beat Racer's face in, why they went after her when there were two other prime options in closer range.

"Blondie had the most keys," Racer replied, shrugging. "It's not uncommon knowledge."

"But why hold her captive if you knew the contracts have to be severed," he pressed, stepping closer. "If its common knowledge that she has the most keys it's also well known that Lucy is devoted to her spirits. She would have never cut the contracts, and if you've all fought her before you should've known."

Racer grinned, leaning forward on the table. "Rusty wanted her. He said she was best."

Erza tensed, and he wondered how much she was putting together. "Why would he care?"

"Dunno. That's what he wanted. He only agreed to help us with the plan if we got him blondie."

Freed thought back to everything he'd heard about Rustyrose. The only time they'd fought Lucy was nowhere around, and he recalled that the Arc of Embodiment mage had a knack for a vivid imagination. Everything he'd conjured came right out of his mind –

Narrowing his eyes, something clicked in his mind. _Imagination._

The rune magic he found back in that house had been amateurish until he located Lucy, and there the magic was sophisticated and well developed, well enough to keep her bound to the floor. He didn't know if she'd been left there for quite some time or if the residual magic was from the Seis making a hasty getaway, but he had noted the way the magic was thought out and powerful.

It was strong enough to withstand time, hours or even days. It wasn't like his own magic though. Powerful and tricky, but not as strong. Like a tricksters.

Or an embodiment mage.

Lucy made it sound like Midnight was the leader of this plan, but what if he wasn't? Rustyrose put a lot of work into something he may or may not get a big payout on, and it didn't make any sense to Freed. Why did she only seem to bring up Rusty later when he got her to reveal more of what happened?

He'd been the first to try anything sexual towards her, but the truth surfaced later and as less of an immediate fear than actually being beat. Freed had limited knowledge of how someone is supposed to react after going through an experience like that, but he thought it was a little… unorthodox.

Something didn't add up, and if he took it out on Racer now without an explanation he might not get an answer.

"Why did Rustyrose agree to help?" Freed asked, his voice heavy. "Did Midnight tell him the plan?"

Racer shrugged, refusing to say more.

"Or," Freed continued, pieces dancing into place in his head, "did Rustyrose come up with the plan, and recruit all of you because he needed help?"

"How would he come up with it?" Racer laughed, but his voice sounded hollow. "It was Angel's idea."

"One you couldn't execute the way you did without someone who could embody different variations of magic," Freed argued, pressing his hands into the table. "Like runic. It may have been Angel's idea, but I think Rustyrose pushed to execute it."

"He played his part," Racer agreed, eyes focused on Freed. He realized this man only intended to talk to him, but why exactly he wasn't certain. Something about Racer enjoyed how much anger his words could instill in Freed. He folded his hands, smiling at the mage. "And she played hers. Those spirits will cave soon."

"I doubt it," Freed replied, curling his fingers to fists on the tabletop. "You picked Lucy not because of the keys she possessed, but because Rustyrose called the shots, and he wanted her."

Racer smirked, but didn't reply. His eyes glanced off to the side, the amusement remaining in his eyes. Many moments passed before he spoke again. "Rusty would only help us out if we got Heartfilia. That was his requirement."

"He didn't want something else?" Laxus asked, piping up.

"Na," Racer sneered, his gaze remaining on Freed. He titled his head, smirking. "He already got everything he wanted out of her."

Frowning, he leaned a little closer. "I don't feel like that's true. I was in her bedroom with her. We saw the mess left behind."

Racer laughed, nodding. "Found that already, did you?" He shook his head, meeting Freed's gaze. "Don't worry, the next load-"

He didn't finish the sentence, Freed deciding he couldn't stomach whatever words were coming next. He jumped across the table, Racer's reflexes almost too fast for him to catch the man. Instead of landing him in a chokehold like he intended he ended up grabbing his ankle, catching him before he could try to bolt again.

Freed grunted when Racer struck out, kicking him at super speed. If he got away again he'd become a nuisance for everyone to catch, and there was absolutely no way he could be allowed to escape. Without thinking Freed reached for his sword, ignoring the way Racer's repetitive kicking was causing pain to blossom across his face,

Freed heard Erza and Laxus fighting with Racer, but he didn't focus on it. If he got distracted he'd lose grip on Racer's ankle, and he probably wouldn't get a chance like this again.

Bringing his arm back, he brought down the sword on the back of Racer's ankle, magic be damned.

Racer screamed, his other leg ceasing kicking, his hands flying down to the Achilles tendon Freed had severed. Without Wendy's magic to repair it, Racer wouldn't be able to properly use his magic again.

Couching, Freed let go of his ankle as he sat up, running a hand over his face. Pain blossomed from his nose and forehead where Racer kicked him, and he was almost certain that his nose was broken.

It didn't matter. Racer's main source of magic was now severely injured, and he wouldn't be able to run while in substantial pain. And if he expected any chance to seek the wind dragon slayer's help, he'd cooperate.

"Freed your face," Erza gasped, kneeling down in front of him. She swiped at his forehead and he gasped, pulling back from her fingers. "We need to get Wendy to treat you right away."

"What were you thinking my boy?" Makarov snapped, jumping down beside him. "You can't just beat him up! We're trying to negotiate!"

Behind them Laxus laughed, and without looking Freed knew he had followed the same trail of thought. "He will negotiate now. No way is someone like him going to chance never being able to run again. Ask Jet."

Freed nodded, a wave of nausea washing over him. He knew it was stupid to be goaded by the man in the first place, but he couldn't help it. He pushed too many buttons, and in the end Racer suffered the most.

If Freed had it his way, they'd never heal the tendon. He didn't deserve it.

 **A/n: I'm so-so about this chapter, I wrote it a couple times and this is the draft that I enjoyed the most. It's a lot of buildup to a couple of scenes, and I may have rambled a little in there. I'm hoping the next chapter flows better than this one. Also, shout out to** **Alesia Davis** **who gave me the idea to cut Racer's Achilles heel. Until next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

"You have to get him to sit still," Wendy reasoned, sitting beside Freed in the infirmary. Word spread fast about what happened during Racer's interrogation, and while the sky dragon slayer seemed to be in no hurry to heal his ankle, she was adamant about taking a look at Freed's nose. "Please."

He cringed as Wendy fussed about before beginning the healing process, closing his eyes as the magic settled over his skin. Lucy and the others were still outside, oblivious to anything going on. From what Erza said she was with friends, and he didn't see anything happening to her while in her team's presence.

Besides, his face really hurt. He'd rather not show Lucy that the bastard got even one good kick in. He didn't want to ruin her mood if she was opening up to them.

"There," Wendy reasoned, shifting away from him. Freed opened his eyes again to study the pleased look on her face, her lips tugged up on either side. She rocked on her heels, clasping her hands behind her back. "All better."

Reaching up he tapped his nose, happy when he didn't feel any lingering pain. Wendy's skills were definitely a step above going about this the traditional way, and he was thankful he wouldn't have to sit around with his face bandaged. Shifting his eyes, he studied the figure on the other end of the room.

Racer lay in the furthest bed in the infirmary, still unconscious from Laxus conking him in the head. Erza had to keep Freed from attacking the bastard again during interrogation, and when Racer tried to run despite the pain Laxus smacked him over the head. It worked as the final step in subduing him, and he hadn't moved since.

"Am I going to have to heal him?" Wendy asked quietly, drawing his attention again. She looked torn, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. "He hurt Lucy."

"He did," Freed agreed, studying the girl. She wrung her hands, her eyes remaining on the Seis member a second more before dancing off. "And you think healing him will put her in danger again?"

Her eyes shot back to him, and he could read the same emotions going through her mind as his. If Racer was healed, there was no telling what he would do. Jet would be able to keep up with him, but Freed didn't want anyone else having to fight that asshole. He was tired of fighting pawns and not the main source.

Glancing towards Racer's ankles, he bit the inside of his lip. If he had it his way there was no intention to ever heal the tendon. If he didn't comply and help them find Lucy's spirits, he had half a mind to slash the other tendon.

 _He will negotiate now. No way is someone like him going to chance never being able to run again._

Hopefully Laxus was right. If Racer didn't work with them, they had no more leads than they did before. Perhaps Meredy could provide insight into Rusyrose's mind, but that didn't mean much unless they could find him. If Racer didn't help, they were back to square one.

"I don't want to heal him," Wendy continued, her eyes focused on Racer again. "He's bad, and he's using his magic to do bad things."

Freed pressed his lips together, unable to think of something else to say. Before he could the door to the infirmary opened, revealing Erza's scarlet hair. Behind her trailed Jellal and Meredy, both of whom swept their eyes over the scene as though they were stepping into another world.

Wendy smiled at the pair, but Freed did not. He studied Jellal, who didn't stop even when Erza did, trailing past her to the unconscious mage. The two women stopped by Freed's bed, curious eyes watching the blue haired leader.

Freed arched an eyebrow. He'd heard about Jellal, even seen him from time to time, but Mystogan's doppelganger was an enigma to him. He knew very little about the heavenly body mage, except that he was once on the side of evil.

"Racer," he said quietly, the man's profile facing them. Freed thought he would see the flicker of some type of emotion there but Jellal remained stoic, his eyes sweeping over him once. He cleared his throat again, "Erza was right, you cut his tendon."

"I can't let him get away," Freed snapped, deciding he didn't like Jellal very much. Who just walked in like that? "If he can't run it shouldn't be much of a problem."

Jellal nodded once more before turning to the group, his eyes sweeping over them. "Where are the others?"

"That's what we're here for," Meredy replied, sounding confused. Freed narrowed his eyes, wondering what could possibly bother him so fast.

He glanced at each of them in turn, Freed's eyes narrowing the longer he remained silent. "Do you know anything about the Seis?"

"Jellal," Erza snapped, interrupting him. "I told you everything we know. We even talked to Cobra."

"Cobra is a self-entitled ass," he replied, shaking his head. "There is nothing you could've offered him that would make him betray more than he had to."

Freed jumped up, a sense of panic setting in. "You think he's with them!?"

"No," Jellal snapped, pacing to the other side of the bed, "I don't. Or he wasn't until recently. Cobra has a hard time adjusting to new ideas."

Tilting his head, Freed glanced sideways towards Erza, who seemed to be holding her breath. He vaguely recalled that all these people, the Seis and Erza and Jellal, all knew one another in what seemed like a different life. If Jellal hadn't seen Cobra in quite some time, there might not be any merit to his words.

Meredy sat on the bed beside Wendy, drawing his attention. If he hadn't been told what the girl looked like he would have no idea this was her. She seemed sweet, even childish as she bounced on the matress a moment before settling.

How exactly were these people supposed to help him?

"You wanna know about Rusty right?" she asked, digging through her bag. She produced a lolly, one the size of Wendy's head and every color imaginable, and proceeded to begin licking it as she spoke.

Freed blinked, glancing towards Wendy. She was almost more childlike than the sky dragon slayer, and from the corner of his eye he thought he noticed Jellal looking towards her fondly.

"I already saw Lucy," she continued, pointing towards the window. "She's with Gray and Natsu. Looks a lot better than I thought she would, but I can sense that she's in a lot of pain."

"She's hurting from what happened," Erza voiced, her gaze on Jellal. Following the line of sight Freed realized none of the trio appeared to be watching each other. Erza watched Jellal, Jellal studied Meredy, and Meredy was in her own little world of storytelling.

"I can see what he did," she continued, dropping her voice. "Rusty was always unstable. He wanted to embody anything he could, including a sense of love. When he set his sights on something he didn't let it go, and he would never do something if he didn't think it would fit his objective." Her eyes darkened, the hand holding her lolly sinking as her mood soured. "He – we – tried to get Rusty to join Crime Sociere. As you can see, the guild hasn't done much growing."

"He didn't want to join?" Wendy asked, interested by the story. Freed nodded along, glancing towards the blue haired man once more.

He couldn't help but feel JEllal was holding something back, his eyes shifting from his teammate to glance uncertainly around the room and then out the window.

"He didn't want to join," she said simply, a sad smile pulling on her lips. "We didn't talk much then. Cobra taunted him, and we did end up fighting, but nothing came of it. I haven't spoken to Rustyrose since, and he wants nothing to do with me. Sadly, we're the only remaining members of Grimoire Heart."

Nodding along, he didn't find any of that information useful. IF Rusty turned the offer down and made himself scarce, it didn't sound like Meredy knew much of anything.

"Since Rusty didn't share a lot about himself I tried thinking of places he might go," she continued, thoughtfully tapping the snack against her lips before resuming eating. "We lived on the airship mostly, and only touched down for battles. Sometimes though we could sneak off. Rusty liked to leave whenever we got near Balsam Village."

Freed's head snapped up, studying Meredy with renewed interest. If she had any idea of a location and that was huge, but a spa village didn't seem like the ideal place for a hideout. "Did he have someplace he liked to go there?"

She shrugged, looking uncertain. "He didn't say a lot about it really. We didn't share much with each other, for a long time I knew nothing about Ultear's past. Rusty was even more shut off than she was, but not as wild as Zancrow. Honestly, we didn't get along very well. We met up years after Tenrou, and all the time we spent together as teammates I was a little kid. We never said much to each other when we were part of Grimoire Heart, and that didn't change as the years passed. Rusty was always secretive about his past. Most of us didn't want to think about it."

"So you don't know if he had any connection to Balsam then," Freed replied, sighing. Meredy shook her head, looking as upset as he felt. She might remember details of Rustyrose, but she clearly never got close enough to know much about him.

She worried her lip, hesitating before speaking. "I think I still remember the way to his hideout."

That got his attention, and everyone in the room froze, even Jellal who seemed fixated on the outside world. "He had a hideout!?" Freed cried, standing up.

It was a long shot, but why wouldn't the ragtag team use a premade hideout. If Rusty really did call more shots than they originally thought, why wouldn't he also decide where they would go into hiding?

"You didn't mention that before," Jellal said, shifting forward towards the group. "All you mentioned was Balsam Village."

"I almost forgot it," she mused. "I was so young when I joined Grimoire Heart, sometimes I forget some of the details. You have to understand, Rusty is at least ten years older than me. We never had any mutual interests. But one day, right after I joined, I made him really mad. We touched down to storm the city and Rusty ran off. I felt bad, so I followed him."

Freed stood up, eyes wide as he studied Meredy on Wendy's other side. "Do you remember where it was?"

Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "It's hazy. I had to run really fast to keep up, and I ended up falling asleep when I got there. I almost missed getting back on the ship. Everyone was mad at me."

Glancing towards Jellal and Erza, he felt a slip in Meredy's composure. She didn't seem to be in the sharing mood, but he could tell there was some sort of unspoken message there. Jellal shifted forward, placing a hand comfortingly on Meredy's shoulder. "You don't have to explain everything, just the things that will help us find Lucy."

"If we went I could try," she sighed, meeting Freed's eyes. "I really don't know if I could find it again or not. It was an old, unkept building, like a house. I think he may have lived there at some point before joining the guild." She shook her head, closing her eyes once more. "I remember it was near some rocks, like a mountain. There were caves nearby. I hid in one and fell asleep, and then I had to run to follow him back to the ship."

Freed nodded, the pieces falling into place in his mind. That was definitely a possibility, and Balsam was a calm, tranquil town. No one would think to try and look on the outskirts for criminals.

If the Seis were trying to destroy their demons, it was almost laugh-worthy how proper the city really was. They wanted to try to begin their new lives in a place full of piece.

He bit back a growl. They could only have that piece if they managed to destroy the rest of Lucy's happiness.

"Where are the other Seis?" Jellal asked for a second time. He glanced up at his words, wondering why he was so insistent to know.

"If we knew that we wouldn't have had to call you," he scowled, shaking his head. "That's what we're trying to figure out."

Jellal didn't look convinced, wandering towards the window again. "And they just sent Racer ahead of them? Balsam is a whole train ride away. Even with his speed Racer couldn't have abducted her and made it back without being pursued. That's a lot of trust in only one member."

"He said he was scouting, checking in," Freed reasoned, glancing out the window as well. He felt a sense of dread settling in, remembering how Lucy was outside. "You think he was lying?"

"I think the Seis are co-dependent," he replied, staring straight ahead. "Cobra is dependent on Kinana, which is the only reason he could leave. Richard found happiness in his life and was able to move on. The ones who remain can't do that because they don't know how to. They need each other to function and survive and fight against the world that they believe is against them. When Zero was alive he spearheaded them, but now Racer, Angel and Midnight feel they only have each other to depend on. If Rustyrose was able to step into a group stigmatized by their own fears, it would be easy to move in and twist them around for his own agenda."

Frowning, Freed shook his head. "I don't follow. How does that have anything to do with where the Seis might be now? Surely they would stay at this so-called hideout, rather than chance getting caught away from it."

"I don't think Rusty would chance giving up his hideout," Meredy argued, shrugging. "A few years later he caught me trying to follow him again, and just about ripped my head off. Ultear got into a fight with him over it. He said it was the last thing he had to himself, and no one would take that away."

"Erza, you said that something happened at Lucy's apartment recently," Jellal continued, shifting his hands into his pockets. "Balsam is too far for a group of wanted criminals to bother traveling back and forth. At least some of them have to be lying low here to see how things pan out."

Something clicked in Freed's mind. "You think some of the others are here."

"I think that Racer got impatient and went against whatever plan they had," Jellal replied, shaking his head. "He never thought things through; he always wanted to run away. This time, I think he ran towards what he wanted. If he and Angel are somehow underfoot Rustyrose and Midnight, he may have seen an opportunity to taunt you, and possibly snatch Lucy away."

"It never would've worked," he snarled, shaking his head. "I never planned to let him get to her. My house is protected by runes."

Jellal shrugged. "If he's never fought you before, he may have thought he could one up you. They were able to catch Lucy off-guard and hurt her because of those she cared for, perhaps he thought the same could be said for you."

"How would he know that Freed cares for her?" Wendy asked, glancing at the others.

Meredy smiled, meeting Freed's eyes. "You can just tell."

He awkwardly cleared his throat, wondering what the hell her mischievous words meant. Erza and Jellal didn't argue, the latter glancing towards Freed once more.

"Lucy should come back to the guild. Even with the others around, this could be a trap. She'd be safer if she wasn't out in the open."

* * *

Lucy felt like she was having an out of body experience. She'd hugged Natsu not five minutes ago, and Juvia bounded up too, claiming she would not hurt Lucy since she wasn't currently a _love rival_ because of Freed, but that Natsu could no longer sneak into her house at night and steal her bed.

Blushing, she wondered if Juvia even remembered that she wasn't staying at her house. And she couldn't _imagine_ how awkward things would be if Natsu tried to break in there.

Sitting outside in the middle of town, it felt nice to watch people passing by and admire the budding relationships between her friends. Sure, it felt like she'd fallen into another life where everyone loved somebody else, but it didn't really feel wrong. It simply felt… different.

Taking a deep breath, she relished the scent of the bakery down the street and the sound of pattering footsteps as people passed them by.

She let her friends continue to chat, content simply in their presence. It had been a long time since she simply enjoyed the company of others.

She enjoyed Freed's company, sure, but this was nothing like it. When she was with Freed she felt different, in a way she'd never felt with anyone else.

Taking another breath, she closed her eyes once more and exhaled. When she opened them again she felt a ghost of a smile playing at her lips, blinking a couple times as she focused her gaze on Aries.

 _Aries._

Lucy was on her feet in an instant, eyes locked on the pretty pink-haired spirit not fifty yards away. Aries normal white attire was stained grey, like she'd gotten dirty recently. One hand rested just over her mouth like normal, the other tugging at the hemline of her dress.

Lucy's legs shook as she approached, her feet picking up speed. Someone caught her arm and pulled her back, causing the scream to rip out of her throat.

"Aries!"

She didn't acknowledge who had grabbed her, her eyes locked on her spirit that she hadn't seen in three weeks. She'd been out of that house for two, but the Seis abandoned her days before and kept her spirits locked up. Seeing Aries there was nothing short of a miracle.

Or a trap.

"This one's a little too shy for my taste," someone called out, her voice sending little chills down Lucy's spine. "Though I thought she'd be more complacent than Gemini. Poor thing can barely stand nowadays."

Lucy's blood froze, and she felt everyone around her tensing as well. Before them stood Angel, pressing Aries key against the side of her cheek. She looked bemused, a set of coins clasped in her other hand. She stepped past Aries, grasping the spirit's shoulder before slamming her into the agacent wall, letting the girl crumble.

Struggling, Lucy was unable to recognize who was holding her. "Aries! Let her go! Let her go!"

"Lucy," someone said, and distantly she realized it was Cana. "Lucy don't rise to the bait."

"It's really a shame she came out," Angel continued, leisurely making her way towards the group. "I was trying to get that lion of yours to come out and play, and she just wouldn't let it happen." Clicking her tongue, she glanced back at the spirit. So far Aries hadn't gotten up, and appeared to be shielding her face from Angel. "Too bad she isn't one of your strongest spirits. One of us would already have our happy ending. Your little ram is just too weak to take the spell."

Lucy blinked, screaming words her brain didn't register. She struggled against Cana who wrapped her arms around her, her feet sliding on the stone. Unable to focus on the white haired mage before her she looked off to the side, trying to study what she could of Aries.

The girl's dress wasn't just grey, it was dusty and almost brown. Her boots were caked in dirt. She appeared weak, unable to get back up off the ground. Her skin was littered in bruises, _actual_ bruises, and Lucy could barely stomach it to look.

How long had she been forced to stay out of her key? She could barely lift her head, watery eyes staring through the pink locks.

She had to _help_ her.

"Stay away from Luce," Natsu growled, and her eyes snapped over to notice Gray, Natsu and Juvia standing in front of them. "You'll pay for hurting her."

Angel tilted her head, pouting. "What, are you talking about the abuse? I didn't do that honey; no way I'd get blood on my new clothes. Besides, why would I want to assault her?"

Lucy felt her world come crashing down, eyes widening when Cana's arms slackened around her, the trio in front turning around with wide, horrified eyes. She choked, wondering how two weeks' worth of secrets spilled out in a couple of sentences.

It didn't matter, even as she started feeling the paranoia setting in. Her eyes locked on Aries again, who had lifted her head a little higher at Angel's words.

She had to get to her. She had to save her.

Tightening her hands into fists, she fought back the tears that threatened to emerge when Angel laughed. Foolishly at one time she'd thought the woman was against her teammate's tactics, but evidently they had no lasting effect on the woman herself. Lucy dropped her gaze, unable to look into the eyes of her friends.

Staring down at her empty fists, she acknowledged that she couldn't take Angel on. If she tried she could get hurt, or Aries could suffer more pain. Shaking her head she let out a sob, feeling the tears drip down her face.

"G-get her key… please."

Lucy didn't look up again when she heard her friends screaming, Cana's grip returning with renewed determination. She jerked instead, whipping her head around to glare at the brunette.

"Let me go! I have to help her!"

Cana looked torn, glancing at the trio trying to hit Angel. She was dodging the attacks, jumping around in front of Aries. A stray attack could hit the fallen spirit, further injuring her, and Lucy couldn't let that happen.

"Please!" she screamed, fighting against Cana once more. "I have to help her."

After a moment's hesitation she relented, immediately going for the cards in her bag. "Then I'm coming with you."

Lucy didn't spare her a second glance, her eyes focused on nothing but the pinkette across the square from her. Aries had dropped her head again, and Lucy feared what that meant. Taking off, she was only partially aware of the fight going on around her, her mind floating as she took in Aries state.

It brought back memories of how Karen treated the ram spirit long ago, and she could already imagine Loke's rage when he found out. For now her only concern was aiding her friend, and once her team undoubtedly beat Angel she could send her back into the spirit world to heal.

She hadn't thought this moment would come, not for a long time. It was almost too easy.

"Aries!" she cried, stumbling to sit at the spirits side. She dragged the girl onto her lap, brushing back her sweaty locks. Aries was out of breath, one side of her face swollen from being beat. She looked worse for wear, and Lucy couldn't hold back the sob as she took in the state of her friend.

How could anyone do this to her?

Instead of curling into the comfort of her master Aries squirmed, feebly trying to push the blonde woman back. "Lucy… go."

"What?" she panicked, clenching her friend tighter. "No! No, I won't leave you."

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, screaming something she couldn't listen to. Aries shook her head, weakly reaching up to fight off her hands. "Trap. I'm sorry princess."

Lucy's eyes widened, her hands digging into the spirits shoulders half a second before she completely disappeared into a golden light, her hands snatching through the fading magic to clash together. She let out a strangled cry as her spirit faded, her head whipping up to stare at Angel.

The Seis member was still enamored in battle, and she appeared to have thrown Aries key to the side. The key itself remained unharmed, and Lucy drove to grab it. Anything to make sure her friend didn't suffer more pain.

She collapsed on the ground when she grasped it, cradling her solo friend against her chest. At least she knew that Aries was unharmed, and perhaps she could warn the others about what was happening. If they knew the truth they would hopefully stay away, no matter what happened to her.

Lucy cried, briefly overcome by grief. She finally got to see one of her spirits again only to find her in a completely battered state, so drained of magic she couldn't lift her head all the way up. Lucy curled into herself, well aware that this was neither the time nor place for such a show of emotion, but unable to care.

Aries, poor, sweet Aries. She didn't deserve to be used as bait.

Cana was in her face in the next moment, shaking her shoulders roughly as she screamed, "You have to get out of here!"

Swallowing the upcoming sob, she blinked and tried to register what was going on around her. Angel was still in the throes of what appeared to be a losing battle against Natsu and Juvia, Gray fast approaching them as he looked around.

She didn't care if it was a trap. She got one of her spirits back, and it was a step in the right direction.

And Angel knew where the others were. She and Racer both made an appearance, one that Lucy couldn't possibly understand.

It didn't make sense.

"Lucy it's a trap!" Cana screamed again, giving her another shake. "Come on! We have to go back to the guild!"

Vaguely, she realized that Cana was correct. She would be safer in the guild, and she couldn't let Aries' key fall back into Angel's hands. The woman clearly didn't take care of her spirit, and she couldn't allow her to be hurt once more.

"O-okay," she gasped, letting the card mage drag her up off the ground. Gray showed up at that moment, lending a hand to help keep her standing. Lucy surprised herself, not flinching away when his hands came into contact with her skin.

"Get back to the guild," he stressed, glancing between the two. "They have to know something's gone wrong by now. Lucy, go. We'll take care of this."

Her pride hurt when she nodded, embarrassed that the idea of running sounded better than standing to fight. She only had one key, and dragging Aries out right now would be a cruelty she couldn't stomach. Cana placed an arm around her shoulders, turning her back in the direction of the guild, Aries key still pressed over her heart.

They'd only taken a few steps when the darkness swept over them, the sun disappearing as fast as one could blink. Lucy stumbled and Cana froze altogether, her breathing immediately picking up at the realization.

It was a trap, it always had been. Racer was a distraction, and Angel showing her one of her spirits was nothing more than a way to throw Lucy off her game.

But now, the shadows setting in around her and the memories surging forward, Lucy could feel her panic coming. She fell to her knees, her nails digging into her skin as she kept Aries key close.

She didn't have to see his face. She knew exactly who had found her.

* * *

Freed felt his heart constrict, following Laxus and Erza as they rushed into town. They'd all felt the magical surge when members of the Seis arrived, and if Jellal's sudden anger wasn't enough of a hint Freed could practically sense Lucy's distress.

They were there, but they had no idea how many came.

When the screams caught his ears Freed zoomed ahead, using his magic to take him to the center of town ahead of the others. Laxus was only a step or two behind.

Of course it was a fucking trap. How did he let himself get so distracted by Racer's taunts that he didn't look ahead? What Jellal said made perfect sense now.

It was all a set up, and they left Lucy out in the open, without the protective walls of a guild to keep them out.

When he arrived, he immediately noticed the small sphere of darkness just closing over two figures. The man in the distance was vaguely familiar to him, and Freed recognized immediately what was happening.

He watched as Laxus appeared behind Midnight, attempting to blast him before he jumped out of the way. Bickslow and Evergreen showed up a few seconds later and he could already hear the approaching footsteps of other guild members.

Biting his lip, he moved towards the darkened sphere instead of the attacker, drawing his sword. An entire guild against two mages was nothing, and if they didn't retreat in a few moments they would be overpowered. Drawing his sword he approached, unsure who else was stuck inside.

He hesitated striking the black orb, unsure if harm would come to those trapped inside. "Lucy!"

There was a moment of hesitation before he noticed something, the barest impression of a handprint appearing from within. He recalled Lucy explaining that Midnight could bring forth nightmares, and wondered if this was a demonstration.

He pressed his hand against the print inside, the digit immediately falling out of the orb. He noticed the fingers were longer than Lucy's the skin more of a tan color.

Cana.

Grasping her wrist he immediately began dragging Cana out, surprised when the orb burst, flecks of stifling black disbanding and fading into the air. Cana stumbled to her knees her other hand grasping Lucy's wrist, who seemed to be staring at the sky.

Kneeling down beside her, he hardly heard Cana's confirmation that she was okay. His fingers tentatively brushed against her hair, staring at the terrified expression in her eyes. "Lucy?"

They couldn't have been stuck more than a few moments, but she'd gone as white as a sheet, reliving some nightmare that he couldn't see. He reached out and clasped the hand digging into her chest, her fingers locked around a golden key. Somehow she'd gotten one of her spirits back.

Fighting to stay where he was, he zoned out the sounds of fighting. He wanted nothing more than to go and grab Midnight, showing him some nightmares of his own creation. Instead he brushed back Lucy's hair, trying to call her out of the abiss again. "Lucy?"

She blinked, tears falling down her cheeks as she recognized him. Her grip on the key tightened below his, and she opened her mouth to gasp as more tears formed. "They're hurting them?"

He frowned, drawing her towards him. If she was conscious enough to recognize them then he figured now was the best chance for him to get her out of there. "What?"

Lucy struggled in his grip, jerking around until he stopped trying to lift her, glancing down at her watery eyes. "My spirits. They're abusing them. A-Aries…"

Her voice trailed off, sobs breaking through his mind as her other hand came to press over her mouth, trying to keep the sounds quiet. Keeping his hand against the handle of his sword so he didn't leave it behind, he faded away before she could argue again.

He already knew she wanted to stay there. There was no doubt in his mind no matter how terrified Lucy was she would try to fight. But she didn't even have her whip on her, and if she'd just gotten a spirit back in bad condition there was no way she stood a chance. When they arrived just outside the doors the guild, her sobs intensified.

"They're going to leave!"

Freed blinked, still attempting to hold both the celestial spirit mage and his sword. "What?"

"T-that's what Midnight showed me!" she screamed, beating against his chest. "You took me away! Midnight and Angel are going to disappear and there's nothing we can do to stop them."

"I don't understand," he began, getting cut off when Lucy successfully jerked out of his arms, falling on the steps of the guild.

"They aren't real!" she screamed, attempting to scramble up. "They are an illusion of Rusty's! All they had to do was show me Aries and get me to go with to save my friends. But you took me away and now I can't go with!" She screamed, clutching herself as she cried. "They're going to break the keys if I don't go to them now."

 **A/n: Hope you guys liked it, and some plot development. I don't plan for this story to be over for a little while still, so don't worry about the ending quite yet. We'll see more of the Seis's and Rustyrose's plans in the next chapters. Let me know what you think!**


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